


Denial

by YukiCoco2005



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anxiety, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Kidnapping, Minor Original Character(s), Physical Abuse, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-08-15 21:16:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 46,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8072989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiCoco2005/pseuds/YukiCoco2005
Summary: denial: a condition in which someone will not admit that something sad, painful, etc., is true or real. He was so willing to give up everything, his old home, his old friends. He believed that he could destroy all the little pieces that were holding him back, with ease and without remorse. After all, what would he need friends for?





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of an object viciously tearing into metal was unmistakable. Still, the Norwegian stared in horror at the harpoon bullet, lodged through his robot, dangerously close to his body. In fact the spear had gotten so close to him that it tore off a piece of the man's hoodie, but that was the least of his worries at the moment. 

 

There were alarms blaring all around him, the sound was deafening. The lights he had installed into the robot turned an awful emergency red color, soaking him in a blood-like hue. Trembling, he tried to determine what he should do, his mind racing through different solutions.

 

He knew he could get out of this. It wasn't too long ago that he was able to escape a crashing plane with ease. There should have been a simple fix to his predicament, but he simply couldn't find any. He only had a few seconds before the entire machine would overload and then most likely explode. He did have an eject button but due to his horrid luck, the harpoon bullet had completely pierced through it.

 

He had backup plans of course, other ejection points. However, even with his final attempts desperately pulling at levers, pressing different switches, and even pressing on the glass with his body, he found that he was completely out of luck. Nothing he tried worked. He was trapped in this metal cage, and he was out of time. 

There was a flash of light, the deafening sound of machinery exploding all around him, a tremendous pain shooting through his right arm up to his face, and then a rough jolt as the final pieces of what was left of the robot crashed into the ground.

 

Complete and total darkness met him when he finally found himself able to open his eyes. 

 

There was a crushing weight on top of him, metal digging into his arm causing an intense pain to shudder his body. He didn't wait long before using his uninjured arm to push the heavy metal off of him. He was met with blinding light. Behind him, he could hear the sound of a car engine rumbling, then light footsteps as two men approached. 

 

A soft gasp escaped from one of the men, making it clear that he probably looked worse than he felt. 

 

With a weary glance over his shoulder he saw that the men were red army soldiers, probably Paul and Patryk. His vision was blurry so he wasn't positive, but he also found himself unwilling to face anyone yet. Honestly, he didn't really care who stood behind him Although he was certain that if it had been anyone other than Paul and Patryk they would have approached him by now. 

 

Those two knew him, they may have even known him better than his so-called friends did. They knew by the way he avoided looking directly at them and by his staggering steps moving forward away from the two, that he was hurt, not just physically.

 

He needed time. 

 

Even if it was just a few moments, he needed to process what had happened.

The Red Leader doesn't lose. So, this must have hit him hard. Of course the two soldiers were worried but they left their leader alone for the time being. 

Instead they gathered supplies they would need, seeing his injuries Paul searched the car before finding an old first aid kit. Meanwhile, Patryk began to scavenge the wreckage, searching for anything that may still be useful. The Red Leader had picked up one of the robot arms that had been installed into the larger piece of machinery. Both Paul and Patryk thought the piece was obsolete but for whatever reason, their leader seemed to find it important. 

The Norwegian wandered to the cliffside, watching his old friends as they walked away from their destroyed home. They had lost so much, yet he could still hear hope in their voices, they actually sounded happy. 

Memories of the times he spent with the three clouded his mind. He barely noticed when Paul approached him, “Sir?” the soldier asked, waiting for the other man to respond. The Red Leader didn't give much of a reply, only giving Paul a slight glance. “I need to bandage your arm” the injured man gave a slight nod but remained rather unresponsive even while Paul began wrapping a bandage over his injuries, he simply continued to stare off into the distance. 

It all felt so surreal to him.

He was so sure that he would win, that he would achieve all of his goals, and finally feel complete. It was honestly a bit pathetic, now that he thought back on it. He had actually felt happy when he was around his friends.

Having the company of Edd, Matt, and even Tom had reminded him of what it was like to have people who relied on you and that you could rely on in return. His soldiers would never have that kind of relationship with him. Paul and Patryk were great, they looked after him, and cared for him, but to them he was their leader, the Red Leader.

He was really beginning to hate that title. 

It had been so long since he had actually heard his own name. Tord. Not “sir” or “boss” or “leader” just Tord. And when it came to his friends he was just Tord, a gun happy, Norwegian who use be their roommate. Everything was so simple to them. Black and white. 

But the world just doesn’t work that way. Being with them had remind him of what he use to have and what he so carelessly believed he could be without.Tord knew that he needed them. It was strange, he couldn't explain why. He just needed his friends. 

Tord was so distracted by his thoughts that he barely noticed as Paul helped him towards the car they had parked near the wreckage. Patryk had already started the car so it wasn't long before he pulled away from the wreckage. 

While the car moved farther away from the smoking mess of broken machinery, Tord took the time to focus on the future. 

He realized there was a solution to all this chaos. 

First, he needed to take care of his injuries, mainly his arm, which he had assumed would need to be amputated once they arrived back at base. His uninjured hand slowly traced the cold grooves and creases of the metal arm that he had picked up from the wreckage. Replacing his arm would not be a simple task but he would find a way. 

He was unsure how severe his other injuries were, although his eyesight in his right eye did worry him, considering it was completely absent. Still, there was not much he could do about that. 

Due to those injuries he was aware that he may have issues within his army as well. People thinking they could overthrow him, believing that he would no longer be able to keep up the role of Red Leader. There was an easy solution to that. A few public executions usually puts an end to any kind of uprising. 

He had the future planed. Piece by piece. Once his health had improved he could finally move on to his next mission. He planned to find Edd, Matt, and Tom and recruit them into his army. 

That way Tord would never have to lose his friends again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank my beta reader, max, and thank you to all my readers as well! My goal is to update a new chapter every Sunday, although I work full time so I could end up skipping a Sunday here and there. 
> 
> For this fanfiction, I plan on picking the Eddsworld story up right where The End had ended. It will be mostly focused on Tord, although the earlier chapters will not have him in it much. So far I have a bit planned, but I don't want to give too much away. Feel free to leave a comment (if you have any questions, advice, ect. ) and again thank you so much for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Time passed rather quickly after the incident with Tord. For Edd it felt as if he had just recently seen his old friend. In actuality it had been at least three months. 

Edd watched the news everyday and tried to keep an eye out for new wanted posters, any kind of news that Tord may still be alive. 

There was none. In fact, the majority of the time, any news Edd saw was focused on Red Army movements as the rebellious group moved into different countries, attempting to overthrow the governments of said countries. 

It was still hard for Edd to believe that Tord was gone. Even more hard to believe that his once good friend had actually destroyed his home and nearly killed him and his friends. It felt like a bad dream. One that seemed to haunt all three of them endlessly. 

They each tried their best to forget, but Edd still noticed how Tom was constantly on edge and how Matt seemed to flinch anytime someone got a little too close to his face. 

All three avoided the subject of their ex-friend. 

They did talked about what had happened, they even joked when they had finished collecting the last bit of soot that was left from their destroyed home. But Tord was off limits.

There were a few times that Edd had attempted to bring up their old roommate in conversations but those always turned into arguments, usually ending with Tom storming out of whose ever apartment they happened to be in at the time. 

It was best to just pretend that Tord never existed, but that was much easier said than done. 

Sometimes Edd wished he could just erase his memories like Matt had. 

Speaking of which, Edd looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, smiling at the man dressed in a purple hoodie and green overcoat, as he wandered into the living room. 

“I made some popcorn Edd, did you want some?” Matt asked before sitting down next to Edd on the couch, his green overcoat blending with Edd’s own green hoodie. Edd shook his head a little “Nah, I'll just stick to my cola for now” 

Edd drank happily from the red can, pausing when he heard a knock on the door. “Come in!” Edd called knowing Tom was coming over. 

Sure enough as the door opened Edd’s friend entered the apartment, wearing his typical blue hoodie, and holding the flask he never seemed to leave his home without. 

Tom drank a swallow of liquid from the flask before giving his friends a slight smirk “So what are we watching tonight?” 

He made his way over to the couch, sitting down next to Matt and stealing a piece of popcorn. “I was thinking Return of the Insane Zombie Pirates from Hell 5” Edd said excitedly. 

Tom rolled his non-existing eyes, “Really? You wanna watch that again?” He questioned with a scoff. 

Edd shrugged slightly in response, Tom use to love those movies, but his attitude had changed ever since the incident with Tord. 

Tom drank from the flask again before looking at Edd, he felt a tinge of guilt, seeing how his friend glanced down with a hurt expression. 

“Let's just see what's on?” Matt suggested, sensing the tension between the two. He grabbed the remote, turning on the tv. 

The sound of a reporter talking soon filled the room, as well as the flashes of light emitting from the tv as it showed images of Red Army soldiers shooting at official army soldiers. 

The three watched for a moment. Although they never really talked about it amongst themselves, they each realized the situation rising with the Red Army attacks was becoming serious. There was even an alert on the news station warning people to stay indoors. 

Matt quickly began to flip through the channels, although the three still didn't find anything that drew their attention. 

They ended up leaving it on the same news channel that they had started on. Letting it play as background noise while they talked. 

The three friends conversed through various subjects, which was the norm for them. Talking with one another, seeming actually cheerful for a short moment. However, eventually the name of their old roommate was brought up. 

Tom was the first to stand, huffing angrily as he glared down at Edd “You always take his side” the man in the blue hoodie stated “I know you still blame me Edd, but I did what I had to do” 

Edd blinked in surprised, his eyes meeting Tom’s dark angry ones “I wasn’t saying that Tom, I just… I want to know why…” he mumbled glancing downward with a sigh. “There has to be a reason.”

“You want to know why Edd?” Tom snapped back, this time he wouldn't let Edd make him feel guilty. “It's because he was never our friend. He was never your friend” Tom began to walk to the door, pausing as he put his hand on the doorknob “You need to wake the fuck up, Edd” with that said, Tom exited Edd’s apartment, slamming his door on the way out. 

Silence filled the apartment for a moment. Matt glanced nervously at Edd, he could tell that what Tom had said upset his friend. “Come on, Edd” Matt said nudging his friend slightly “Tom's just being moody, he'll probably be over apologizing tomorrow morning. You know how he is.”

A small smile appeared on Edd’s face as he nodded some “Yeah you're right” He sighed a bit as it seemed his mood was lifting. 

“I still want to watch Return of the Insane Zombie Pirates from Hell 5” Matt said holding up the dvd “you wanna watch it with me?” 

Edd laughed a little “Sure Matt”

As Matt prepared the movie, Edd glanced at the door. He couldn't help but worry about his friend. They fought more now than they ever did. Something had definitely changed between the three friends since Tord’s betrayal.

Something felt broken. 

Edd hoped their friendship could be repaired. He didn't know what he would do without them.


	3. Chapter 3

Tom regretted the way he had overreacted the moment the door slammed shut, cutting himself off with his friends.

He didn’t understand why he was always aggressively pushing them away. Although, he knew that they were probably just as puzzled as he was. 

He blamed Tord, what their old roommate had done, destroying what little trust he had in others. Tom was always paranoid, but he trusted his friends. In fact, they were the only ones he had trusted. 

It was true that he never really considered Tord his friend, but he still had faith in Edd. If Edd trusted Tord then Tom assumed that he had little to worry about. He didn't really trust his old roommate but he also didn't believe that the Norwegian could cause so much damage. 

Tom underestimated Tord. A mistake he would never make again. Simply, because his old roommate was most likely dead underneath a pile of twisted metal. 

As that morbid thought flashed in Tom's mind, he reached for his flask pulling it out. He attempted to gulp down quite a bit from the container but found that only drops remained. 

Disappointed, Tom unlocked and opened the door to his apartment. “I need a drink” the man mumbled entering the apartment before wandering into the kitchen. He set the empty flask down on the kitchen table and began looking through his small apartment for some kind of alcohol. He didn't even mind if it wasn’t Smirnoff. 

He explored the apartment for nearly ten minutes, however he was devastated to find that there was not a single drop of alcohol. This struck him as odd, considering he almost never allowed himself to run out of vodka. He didn’t dwell on this long though, he could feel the buzz from what he had drank from his flask earlier wearing off.

With a groan his eyes glanced up at the clock, it was well after midnight, which meant that any liquor stores nearby would be closed. There was a bar that was located a couple of blocks away from the apartment complex. 

He didn’t enjoy drinking in public places, but he was desperate at this point. The argument he had with Edd left the image of that Norwegian man embedded in Tom’s thoughts. He knew he would have trouble sleeping if he didn’t get something to dull out his anxiety.

So, without wasting too much time, Tom grabbed his keys and quickly exited his apartment.

As he walked past Edd’s apartment he could hear the muffled noise of a movie playing. Tom couldn’t help but smile, he was glad that Edd was still able to enjoy his night. He decided he would apologize to Edd tomorrow morning, but at the moment he had a mission to complete.

Stumbling slightly as he walked, Tom exited the apartment building, carrying himself towards the nearby bar. He had actually visited the location a few times before, considering this was not the first time he had run out of alcohol. They stayed open late, which was the only reason he gave them any business. 

As he entered the establishment, Tom headed directly to the bar. “Double vodka on the rocks” He mumbled to the bartender, hardly looking up as he sat down. 

Tom noticed that the bar was empty tonight besides himself and the bartender. It was perfect, he could enjoy the night without a chance of anyone disturbing him. 

Soon a drink was set in front of him. He downed it without a second thought and ordered another. After four or five drinks he definitely felt drunk enough to try wandering back to his apartment. He was positive that he'd had enough to keep him buzzed until he fell asleep, then he could purchase some Smirnoff as soon as he woke up. 

Feeling certain that he was prepared to stumble back home, Tom stood up from his bar stool, or at least he tried to. His legs buckled under his weight as the world began to spin around him. “W-wha-” He slurred. 

Black spots flooded his vision, he had to hold himself up and barely succeeded. “What the hell?” his mind raced, he knew he had not drunk nearly that much but no matter what he tried to do, he simply could not stand. 

His body trembled as he realized something must have been slipped into his drink “What did you do to me?” He could barely manage to even spit those words up at the figure standing over him. 

“Red Leader request your audience.” the figure said cooly, just as Tom's eyes slowly shut, he felt strong hands grasp at his shoulders, beginning to drag him out of the bar. 

He could hardly put up any bit of a fight. 

His vision blurred, and everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One down ~


	4. Chapter 4

Both Matt and Edd had ended up falling asleep on the couch, both ended up staying awake rather late, watching multiple versions of the zombie pirate movies. 

Edd was the first to wake up, pushing Matt's arm off of him as he climbed off the couch. Matt was completely unfazed by Edds movement, remaining in a dead sleep. 

Edd rolled his eyes at his friend, deciding to let Matt sleep, while he made something for breakfast. 

“I really need to go shopping” Edd mumbled to himself, after having spent the past thirty minutes searching his kitchen for something to eat. His exploration only rewarded him with a couple of slices of bacon, one egg, and half a jug of orange juice. 

He cooked the bacon and scrambled the egg. At that point Matt had woken up, they ended up splitting the meal and finishing off what was left of the orange juice. 

They did not have any plans for the day so Edd invited Matt to go shopping with him. 

While they both exited the apartment, Edd glanced down to Tom's apartment door. Matt saw concern in Edd’s eyes and gently placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don't worry. I'm sure he will be over later” 

Edd nodded, giving Matt a reassuring smile, but he remained troubled, wondering why he had not heard from Tom yet. Usually, he would be checking in on Edd by now, especially since they had recently gotten into a fight. Maybe Tom was actually angry with Edd. 

The man in green couldn't help but frown worriedly as he followed Matt. 

Shopping didn't take too terribly long, soon the two friends were back at Edd’s apartment, restocking his refrigerator. 

Matt didn't stay long after that, soon making his way back to his own apartment. 

 

There was a small package waiting in front of Matt's door, puzzling the tall British man. 

He was not expecting any kind of deliveries, however typically he ordered so many different little novelties, so he simply figured that he had purchased something online and forgotten about it. 

Delighted he grabbed the box and entered his apartment. Once the door clicked shut, he began to greedily tear into the package, excited to see what treasures he might find. 

He was disappointed to find a small circular object, it was unlike anything he would ever try to purchase. 

Feeling curious Matt picked up the object and examined it. The ball made a soft clicking noise before smoke began to pour out of the object. 

Matt continued to stare at the strange ball, watching the smoke “What in the worl-” He started to mumbled, feeling his eyes start to droop. His vision blurred as he stumbled back onto the ground. 

Matt hardly had a chance to say or do anything else, the smoke surrounding him and filling his room. 

The door to the apartment clicked open as two men in blue jackets entered the room wearing gas masks. One grabbed the box and the small spherical object, while the other walked over to Matt. 

Matt could barely see the two, his eyes slowly sliding shut, he lost consciousness as the two men grabbed him and began to drag out of the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing quite a bit lately, so I decided to post another chapter early. The next one will be up on Sunday as well.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been leaving comments! I'm really glad that you guys seem to like this fic! I've been having alot of fun writing it!
> 
> On that note, I didn't really like how this chapter turned out, I've worked on it off and on all week but it just feels off to me. Hopefully that is just me. 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think, and again thank you so much for reading! Things will get interesting really soon~


	5. Chapter 5

Something was incredibly wrong. 

Edd felt certain of this.

It had been over two days since he had heard anything from either Tom or Matt. 

Usually, at least one of them would have been by to check on Edd, he didn't really want to annoy or trouble either of them. However, considering how long it had been, Edd decided it would be best to pay a quick visit to the two. 

Not wasting any time, Edd quickly wandered over to Matt's apartment first. The door to his friend’s apartment was left cracked open, which was not completely unusual considering the man tended to be rather forgetful. 

What had been unusual, was the fact that Matt seemed to be completely absent of the home. 

Edd searched the entire apartment but didn't see any signs of Matt actually having been home at all during the past couple days. A small amount of dust had even begun to cover Matt's collection of novelties, which was something he would never allow. 

The only thing Edd could assume was that Matt had went over to Tom's for a few days, which was doubtful but really the only logical option. Where else could he have gone?

Therefore, Edd reluctantly decided to give Tom a visit as well. Even if Tom was still angry, Edd simply needed to know that both of his friends were okay. At the very least, if Matt wasn't with Tom, perhaps his old roommate would have some kind of clue as to where their friend had gone.

Edd tried to tell himself that there was hardly anything to worry about, his two friends were probably binge watching some show, they just lost track of time. Edd would open the door to Tom's apartment and find both his friends on the couch watching some flashy horror movie, or maybe even a cartoon. 

They would be safe, and welcome Edd to join them. 

Edd hoped that would be the case, however a dread began to sink in as he knocked on Tom's door and received no response. 

Edd continued to knock multiple times, waiting a few moments in between each knock. After standing outside Tom's apartment for nearly five minutes, Edd decided to unlock the door with a key Tom had given him. 

“Tom?” He called out, peeking his head into the apartment, he hoped Tom was passed out in his room, or taking a shower. Something. Anything. 

Unfortunately, once again Edd saw absolutely no sign of his friend. In fact, Tom's case was similar to Matt's, it didn't look like anyone had been in the apartment for a couple of days.

Tom's empty flask sat on the kitchen counter, something that he hardly left home without. 

It was at this point that Edd began to truly believe that something rather disastrous may have happened to his friends.

What if they went out and were attacked by red army soldiers? Or maybe Tom got into a fight with a random stranger, again? Matt might have wandered off and got lost trying to make his way home. He was so forgetful. 

Edd went back to his own apartment and paced worriedly. He was at a complete loss on what he should do. For a moment he considered calling the local law enforcement, thinking that they would be able to help him find his lost friends. 

That seemed a bit too extreme though, it would be embarrassing for him if he were to get the law involved just for Matt and Tom to randomly show back up. 

He told himself that he was worrying too much, there was no need to panic. However, it was rather difficult for him to remain calm while he was uncertain of his friends’ safety. 

They could be hurt, lost, or worst. 

Edd couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to his friends. Especially considering he had lost one recently. 

He wasn't bothered by the idea of being embarrassed as much anymore. His friends were welcome to tease him all they wanted, after he was certain of their safety.

With shaky hands, Edd grabbed his phone and dialed the local law enforcement’s phone number. Just as Edd placed his finger on the green call button, he heard a light knock on his apartment door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHo could that be?


	6. Chapter 6

The light tapping emitting from the entrance of the apartment pulled Edd’s attention away from his phone before he could actually make the call. The man’s heart skipped a beat, as he looked up at the door wondering if perhaps he had imagined the soft knocking noise.

It wasn't long before the tapping once again broke the silence. Feeling certain of what he heard now, Edd nearly sprinted to the door, before quickly pulling it open. 

However, the person standing at the entrance of his home was someone Edd would not have expected to see. In fact, before now Edd didn't think he would ever see this man again. 

After all, he was believed to be dead. 

In disbelief, Edd stared at the man, he found it almost impossible not to recognize his old roommate looking right back at him.

Tord did look quite different now having replaced his right arm with a strange, red robotic arm, and bearing numerous scars covering the right side of his face, a few hiding beneath a black eye patch. Even his attire had changed slightly, for now he wore a heavy blue coat over the typical red hoodie he use to wear. Altogether, it looked similar to the Red Army’s soldier uniforms and even more so to the wanted poster Tom had found of Tord (which had surprising survived in the wreckage of their home).

“Hello Edd” the man spoke, his Norwegian accent heavy as he took a step forward “Do you mind if I come in?” He tilted his head ever so slightly, his expression turning into a pout.

It had always been hard for Edd to disappoint Tord, especially when he bore that puppy-like expression. That much had not changed as Edd took a step back. He still didn't speak, watching Tord stepped past him, strolling almost gracefully into the apartment. 

Edd watched Tord with an expression of shock and anger, he could feel a mixture of emotions cloud his mind. 

For instance, Edd was happy to see Tord alive, but angry still for what his ex-friend had done to them in the past. He was worried about Tom and Matt but had a sense of relief as well, feeling quite certain that Tord had the answers. Over all, he was just surprised, he did not believe that he would ever see Tord again, but now Edd stood watching his old roommate look around the apartment curiously, as if nothing had ever happened. 

“It doesn't look like you have been on many more adventures,” Tord spoke once again breaking the silence between the two. 

Edd’s hands clinched into a fist, feelings of anger and nervousness seemed to rush through him “Tord, why are you here?” His attempt to speak in a strong, fearless voice and failed him miserably as his voice barely became any louder than a whisper. 

A light scoff escaped the lips of the Norwegian man, as he bore an expression of false pain. “It almost sounds like you don't want me here Edd, aren't you happy to see me? Or would you have rather gone on believing I were dead” there was a hint of genuine hurt in Tord’s voice. 

Tord’s eyes never left Edd while he spoke, whereas Edd seemed to find it difficult to look at Tord at all. Feelings of guilt hit him now, his once old friend had clearly been through so much in the past few months. The replaced arm and scars were just a reminder of the pain that all four men were forced to endure. 

Because of Tord. 

Edd’s eyes narrowed slightly at the realization. He shouldn't feel guilty, Tord had uprooted all of their lives. It was Tord’s fault. 

However, no matter how much Edd attempted to believe this, he still found himself feeling guilt. If he had talked to Tord, maybe even stopped Tord from leaving all those years ago. Perhaps none of this would have happened. 

Yet here they were, nothing would change what had happened. The least Edd could do was hear Tord out. 

“I am glad to see that you're alive Tord” Edd said softly “but you did kind of surprise me, by showing up all of a sudden. Plus I'm worried about Tom and Matt. They're missing.”

He watched Tord, hoping to see the man look worried or surprised even, however the Norwegian simply shrugged his shoulders as he chuckled lightly under his breath. 

“They are not missing Edd” Tord spoke sounding as if he was holding back laughter “I know exactly where they are.”

At this point, Edd had snapped. He had suspicions that Tord was behind this the moment he saw the man at his door. Yet once again, he trusted Tord. The anger and anxiety had reached a boiling point for Edd. 

He was never really the type for violence, especially against someone Edd had once considered a close friend, but for a moment none of that seemed to matter. Tom and Matt were what mattered, and the longer Tord stood before Edd, laughing and acting as if none of them mattered the more Edd felt violence was the only answer. 

Edd rushed Tord, taking the man by surprise before he grabbed a handful of the hoodie’s fabric closest to his ex-friend’s neck. With unbelievable strength Edd shoved Tord back into the wall, the young man panted showing clear distressed. Meanwhile, Tord simply looked up at Edd, with a odd look, as if he was to say that he understood why Edd was upset. 

Edd’s grip on the fabric tightened nearly cutting off Tord’s air circulation. “Where are they?!” He questioned angrily, his body shaking as he fought back tears that inevitability began to fall down his cheeks "W-Where are my friends?" his voice began to break. 

Within seconds Edd’s grip had loosen, he found himself collapsing onto his knees before Tord. He hated to cry or show weakness, but the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him. Tom and Matt were gone, and the man who tried to kill all three of them was the only one who had the answers. 

Edd felt a hand lightly rest on his shoulders. He couldn't help but jump back, his eyes still red and watery as he looked up accusingly at the Norwegian. 

Tord once again showed no discomfort, although it did hurt him to see such hate in his friend’s eyes, he knew that would soon change. He once again placed a hand on Edd’s shoulder, “Don't worry” He said in a comforting tone “I am going to take you to see them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was running a little behind schedule with this chapter, usually I have one done and have started on the next one by now, but oh well at least I made it in time to post it up today! From this point on the chapters will be a bit more lengthy, since we have finally made it past the introduction stage. Always look forward to those cliffhangers though, that's typically my favorite way to end a chapter. ;)
> 
> Thanks again for all the comments, kudos, and bookmarks!!! I am so excited to know that so many people are enjoying reading this! Constructive criticism is also greatly welcomed!
> 
> Thank you for reading, see you next week~


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Road Trip!  
> -Note- Chapters may be delayed slightly from now on, I'll have more info in the end notes.

Edd soon found himself in the back of a car taking him far away from the apartment complex. He sat next to Tord while two men wearing rugged looking red army uniforms sat in the driver and front passenger seat. The one in the passenger seat continued to glance back nervously at Edd. He wore a bandage over his left eye, however it was really his large eyebrows that stuck out, making it rather difficult for Edd not to stare back. 

Feeling uncomfortable by the man’s constant gaze Edd did eventually turned to glance out the window of the moving vehicle.

Night had crept in rather quickly while he and Tord were reacquainted. 

Tord did eventually promise to take Edd to where Tom and Matt were, and of course Edd was reluctant in believing Tord. However, he eventually found himself gaining a small amount of trust in his old roommate after Tord also agreed that no harm would fall upon him or his other friends. At this point, the man in the green hoodie finally decided to go with his old friend.

He followed Tord out to the suspicious looking vehicle with dark tinted windows, which was rather worrisome. However, the two men in army uniforms standing next to the car worried Edd the most, nearly caused him to panic and run. His anxiety did not last long as he was able to quickly convince himself that Tord would not allow him to be put in any danger. Tord had not tried to hurt Edd yet, and there was a chance that the insane man had changed. Besides all that, Edd knew that he needed to find out what happened to Tom and Matt. He needed to save his friends. 

Although, now as Edd watched the final buildings of the town slowly drift off into the distance, seemingly eaten up by forest, he began to regret his decision. He wanted to save Matt and Tom but it started to seem as if he was wandering right into a trap as well. Something he may not be able to just walk out of. 

The car continued to drive on endlessly. After what felt like hours, Edd leaned up in his seat, glancing up at the dashboard, to see how much time had gone by since they had started this trip. He saw that it was just half past one in the morning, which meant that they had been driving for over an hour. 

While leaning up to look at the time, Edd received a glare from the man with the large eyebrows once again, which caused the young British man to sit back rather quickly. His movements also earned him a puzzled look from Tord.

His old roommate had not spoke to Edd at all since they started the strange road trip. In fact, hardly no one spoke in the car spoke. This made the situation much more awkward. Thankfully, for Edd, there was hardly any real tension, he could tell that the two soldiers were on edge but Tord seemed fine, relaxed even. 

At one point Tord did show some sign of discomfort as he rubbed his right shoulder, where the metal from the robotic arm and Tord’s actually body seemed to connect. The Norwegian man mumbled something Edd couldn't quite make out to the soldier sitting in the passenger seat and soon the man handed Tord a bottle of water and some pills. Once again he glared slightly at Edd, who was watching with curiosity. 

Edd was beginning to wonder if that man just looked angry constantly. Maybe that was why it looked like he kept glaring at Edd. Either way, it was frustrating, but really the only thing to keep Edd distracted during the endless road trip. Other than that short moment in which Tord spoke to the soldier, the vehicle's occupants remained silent, the only noise being a low rumble of the cards causing the long drive to feel awkward and quite boring. 

It wasn't long before Edd found himself struggling to stay awake, the monotonous scene of trees passing by his window, and the sharp quiet of the night allowed exhaustion to sink in. It had been a long and extremely stressful day, so it was no surprise really when Edd did finally drift off into a deep sleep. 

The restless nap did not last long as Edd was woken by the vehicle screeching to a stop. Startled from the sudden motion, Edd jumped up, squeaking slightly in surprise. 

Tord’s soft laughter both calmed and frustrated Edd as he allowed his eyes to focus against the brightness of the rising sun peering through the tinted windows of the car. 

Through a sleepy blur, Edd could see people walking just outside the car, they had parked in what seemed to be a well populated area. It took Edd a moment to realize that everyone who walked past the car were wearing the same thing. Red Army uniforms. 

It quickly dawned on him. He was at the Red Army base. 

“Are you ready to go see our friends, or do you still need more time to sleep, my friend?” Tord asked with a light hint of laughter in his voice. 

In a panic, Edd pushed himself away from Tord, pressing his back against the car door “Why did you bring me here?!” He asked growing rather frantic, there was nowhere to run, he was at their base. Even if he got away from Tord. He couldn't hide from everyone. “It really was just a trap, you were just trying to recruit me into this army. What deal could you have possibly made to want to turn me in. Is that where you got that weird arm from did the ‘red leader’ promise you it if you betrayed your friends?” 

It was such an obvious trap, Edd knew that. He should have known that Tord would only be looking out for himself. 

Matt and Tom. 

Edd whimpered at the realization. Matt and Tom were most likely dead or being brainwashed into becoming the Red Army’s newest recruits and Edd was next. 

He looked up at Tord his expression filled with fear and anger. 

At this point the man with the large eyebrows seemed extremely agitated with Edd’s outburst, as he reached for something hidden in the glove compartment of the car. 

The object glinted from light hitting metal, Edd realized what the man was holding. It was a small pistol. 

Tord frowned at the soldier as he shook his head slightly, holding a hand up as if to say everything was okay. At this point the man finally spoke “Sir, the other one tried to kill you” 

“Everything is under control Paul, go with Patryk and make sure everything is setup for my guest” Tord spoke, in a cool, assertive tone. 

Edd had never heard Tord talk like that towards anyone, and to be honest it frightened him almost more so than the gun the soldier had retrieved. 

Clearly, Edd was not the only one uneased by Tord’s sudden strict tone. The two soldiers glanced nervously at one another before both replying with a quick “Yes sir” as they exited the vehicle, the one with the large eyebrows, Paul, still seemed doubtful, his eyes staying on Edd even when the two began to walk away. 

Tord cleared his throat, distracting Edd from the soldier and causing him to focus on the actual threat at the moment. His ‘friend’. 

“Now that I have you alone, Edd. First of all, I want you to know that I did not lie to you. I will be taking you to see both Matt and Tom shortly.” he said his voice sounding calm as he glanced up at Edd. “As for any deals…” Tord couldn't help but pause, his own laughter interrupting his words “I do not think I need to make any deals with myself, Edd. I suppose I have kept it hidden long enough but I would have hoped at least you would have realized by now.” 

Tord smirked slightly, he was clearly enjoying this. 

“I am the Red Leader”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, once again thank you for reading. I am glad I was able to get this chapter updated on time. I do not know if you saw but I posted in the comments about chapters being delayed, that may still be true. I may not be able to post a new chapter until the end of October, I am hoping to be moved and settled in with my new job and new home by that point. So please bare with me, I'll be posting again soon. Plus, I think once I get moved in I will find more time to write and may even be able to post two chapters a week. 
> 
> On another note, I lost my beta reader a few chapters ago so if anyone sees any mistakes please just let me know and I will fix them right away. I usually read over the chapter multiple times before posting so I'm hoping that there are little to no grammatical errors, but if you do see anything just let me know. : ) 
> 
> Thanks again everyone!
> 
> -edit- I made a blog on tumblr if you guys without an ao3 account have any thoughts or questions you would like to send my way. Or if you just wanna chat. 
> 
> http://ycwrites.tumblr.com


	8. Chapter 8

Silence was the only reply Edd could give as he looked at Tord with a stunned gaze. 

It all made sense now. Tord moving away from town so suddenly, then staying away for such a long period, only to return with the plan to manipulate and hurt his friends. Not to mention the Norwegian had always seemed rather gun crazy and violent. 

It should have been obvious to Edd and the others, and yet they just didn't see it. Tom had clearly doubted Tord, and at this moment Edd wished that he had followed suit. 

Instead he trusted Tord again, allowed Tord took trick him again. 

Tord reached a hand forward towards Edd, he could tell his friend was hurting, feeling betrayed. That's why Tord did what he did. He had to fix things. Eventually, Edd would understand why he chose this path. Edd had to understand.

However as Edd flinched away, muttering for Tord not to touch him, the Norwegian began to worry, maybe he had caused too much damage. He may not be able to fix his relationship with his friends. 

He had a plan b. Of course, he always had a backup plan, but he did not want act upon it. Not yet. He had to keep trying. 

“Edd,” Tord’s voice pierced through the silence, however Edd did not respond. He continued to press himself back against the car door, pushing as far away from Tord as possible. He held his head in his hands and refused to look up, soft whimpers sounding from his lips as he gazed downward. 

Tord’s eyes narrowed, showing clear frustration with the British man that sat before him. He understood that Edd was having some sort of a breakdown, but was it really all that bad? The Norwegian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and cleared his throat “Edd” he repeated, unable to keep the frustrated tone from his voice.

Once again Edd refused to answer or even look at Tord, at this point Tord was completely fed up with Edd. He reached out and grabbed the young man’s shoulders before shaking him slightly “Do you want to see our friends, or not?” he demanded in an annoyed tone. 

These words did seem to grab Edd’s attention, as he tilted his tear-filled eyes up to look at Tord, “Our friends?” He couldn’t help but choke out a laugh. “They are my friends Tord, and you took my friends away…” Edd shook his head slightly “I tried to believe that Tom was overreacting, that maybe you did not mean to hurt us… maybe you were forced to do what you did”

“I know I messed up, I am trying to fix that Edd-” Tord started to explain himself, which seemed to only make his old friend even angrier “Fix it?” Edd once again found himself fighting back a laugh, he felt like he was going crazy, nothing about his situation was funny but frustrated laughter continued to escape his lips “How Tord? By kidnapping us? I don’t even know for a fact if Tom and Matt are safe. You destroyed my home. You hurt my friends. And now this. It would have been better if you had never even come back in the first place!” 

For a few moments, there was silence, besides Edd’s short, frustrated breaths. Tord gave his friend a shocked look, his words finally breaking the silence “You really do hate me, don’t you Edd?” he asked, his voice soft, echoing pain beneath his heavy accent. Edd frowned, looking away from Tord and refusing to answer.

Tord cleared his throat slightly before sighing “That’s too bad” he said, “I suppose I can’t really be nice to you then, can I? You won’t listen to someone you don’t like or trust.” he frowned, hating to say it outloud, hating to admit that Edd actually did not like him, possibly even hated him now. “So Edd, I’ll give you two options, you can either follow me to see your friends, or you can be escorted by my guards.” Tord said this while opening the door to the vehicle and stepping out “I’ll give you a few minutes to decide” he muttered, the door soon shutting and leaving Edd in a dense silence.

Edd sat there, his back still pressed against the door of the car, he felt almost stunned by Tord’s reaction. He thought maybe his old roommate would see how much Edd was hurting, maybe he would let all of them go. Maybe, Edd realized with a sigh, he was just a little too gullible. 

Tord, was a dictator, he had killed people without a second thought. His army was currently invading different countries, attempting to conquer the world all in the name of the Red Leader. Tord was clearly willing to do anything to get what he wanted. Edd decided it would be best to simply do what the tyrant wanted. For now at least.

The car was a safe haven for Edd, but he knew it was only temporary, he couldn’t wait in this metal box forever. With a defeated sigh Edd opened the door, he had been pressing against just moments ago. He stepped out of the vehicle, and glanced around slowly.

The base, was completely surrounded by a large stone wall, which Edd could see in the far distance. There were different buildings surrounding the general area, all circling a large, uniformed building, which appeared to be the center and capital of the base.

Tord glanced Edd’s way, his eyes drifted from the man to the various soldiers walking about the base. It was a very clear way for Tord to tell Edd that if he tried anything the soldiers would be on him in seconds.

However, Edd had no real intentions in trying to run or fight. He knew he couldn’t get very far and he was not leaving without Tom or Matt. So after shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket, Edd wandered towards Tord. He huffed, showing that he was clearly annoyed “Alright, I’m following you”

Tord visabilly rolled his eyes, he wished Edd wouldn’t act like such a drama queen, although he was grateful that his old friend was willingly coming along. “We are going to that building over there” Tord pointed to the large building in the center before starting to walk. He kept an eye on Edd, ensuring that the man was following him, which Edd did.

Edd glanced around nervously, he watched as they passed soldiers, the men and women seeming extremely serious even saluting Tord when he walked past. At times, Tord would pause and return the salute but for the most part, he simply nodded and continued on his way. It was completely bizarre to Edd, seeing his old friend like this. Tord seemed so serious now, Edd thought, what had happened to his friend? Or was he always like this perhaps. Maybe Edd just didn't see it before. 

These thoughts completely burdened Edd, distracting him to the point that he didn’t give much attention to where he walked. He stayed behind Tord but at times he would stray a little off to the side, receiving angry glares as he bummed into a soldier here and there. 

“Edd” Tord’s voice grabbed Edd’s attention as he looked up at the taller man. “you might want to pay more attention. Some of my men won't get angry with you because you are with me at the moment. But I can't promise that they will all be that kind” 

Edd seemed flustered by Tord’s statement but he soon nodded and attempted to clear his head as they walked on.

He had to focus. This building was almost like a maze, they had taken so many turns, Edd began to worry that he would not be able to find the way out if he did manage to save Tom and Matt.

After walking down a flight of stairs and turning down two more hallways Tord finally lead Edd into a room with two windows, each on adjacent walls facing each other. The windows were covered with blinds at the moment. 

The two soldiers from earlier. Paul and Patryk, was what Tord had called them, if Edd was remembering correctly. He didn't remember who was Paul and was who was Patryk though. They were clearly close to Tord, Edd watched as his old friend walked across the room and began to whisper slightly to the men, receiving a few nods as replies. 

There was an odd smile on Tord’s face before he turned to look at Edd. “Are you ready to see your friends, Edd?” He asked, his voice almost condescending. 

Edd frowned at the man, Tord’s tone sending shivers down his spine. “Of course” Edd replied in an annoyed yet worried tone, Tord was certainly up to something. 

With a nod of Tord’s head the two soldiers stepped towards the windows and opened the blinds. 

The windows revealed both Matt and Tom, each in their separate rooms. 

Matt was handcuffed to a table, his voice crying out desperately for someone to help him. He was the only one in the room, and he seemed uninjured. 

Tom on the other hand was chained to a wall, his arms pulled above his head. Various bruises and cuts littered Tom's body, visible through rips in his hoodie. He also looked extremely pale, as if he were violently ill. His chin rested against his chest and his eyes were closed, the only proof to Edd that his friend was even still alive, was the slow rise and fall of his chest. 

Silence filled the air before being broken by the shuffle of movement and then a harsh smack, as Edd’s fist connected to Tord’s face. 

This stunned Tord as he stumbled back, the two soldiers quickly jumped into action, the one with the longer hair quickly moved behind Edd and grabbed the man’s arms firmly. The one with the large eyebrows once again pulled out a gun but this time he pointed it at Edd. 

“Stop” Tord’s voice was firm, although he laughed slightly as he walked towards Edd, his hand tracing over where Edd had struck his cheek “I never expected that out of you Edd!” Tord continued to chuckle softly. 

Paul didn't put away his gun but he did lower it as Patryk released Edd and wandered back over to his partner. 

Edd frowned looking down and rubbing his hand slightly when Patryk had finally released him. He didn't normally have outburst like that, but after seeing the condition his friends were in and as well as seeing that smug look on Tord’s face. Edd couldn't just stand by, not this time. 

“You promised me” Edd mumbled, “You promised they wouldn't be hurt.” he glared up at Tord, his eyes filled with anger. 

“I said I would not hurt them” Tord replied cooly as he walked around the room, his shoes clicking softly on the tile. “I didn't. And I told my soldiers not to hurt them as well. Matt is perfectly fine. A little lonely but that will be fixed soon.” Tord smirked as he glanced over at the ginger through the one way window. 

“Tom on the other hand” A light frown appeared on the Norwegian’s face, his eyes glancing over to the man wearing a blue hoodie “He attacked my guards, almost killed one actually. They needed to defend themselves. That is the cause for his injuries. I believe the reason he looks so sick is due to withdrawals, you really should have kept a better eye on his alcohol intake Edd.” Tord’s laughter filled the room as Edd glared up at him. 

“What do you want?” Edd asked, causing Tord’s laughter to come to a complete halt. “You obviously want something from me, from us. Or else we wouldn't be alive right now.” unless Tord’s goal was to torture the three friends, which would not be surprising but Edd hoped that was not the case. 

Tord didn't answer Edd immediately, in fact he seemed lost in thought as he walked around the room shutting the blinds to the windows, closing Edd off with his lost friends. Finally Tord looked at Edd and sighed “Edd… I want you to join me. You, Matt, and even Tom. I realized, after I nearly died because of you three, that I only had two choices. I could kill all of you or I could convince you to stay with me.” 

Edd stared at Tord, stunned, he didn't think the man had any more surprises up his sleeve, however Edd was not expecting this. Join Tord or die? Is that really what his old roommate wanted? 

“What if I refuse?” Edd asked, his eyes narrowing at Tord. “Then I will kill you” Tord said simply with a shrug “I will kill all of you. You have to decide Edd for yourself and your friends. Either you join me or you will all die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, I finished the chapter up last night and decided to post it a little early. I'll post next Sunday and from there the post will continue as they have, uploading new chapters every Sunday. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading as always and I hope this chapter was well worth the wait. :3


	9. Chapter 9

“You will all die…”

Those words seemed to echo around Edd, reminding him of the decision he was now faced with. 

The logical part of Edd’s mind told him that he should simply pretend to join Tord and escape with his friends whenever he had the chance.

However, that logic came with a bitter realization that Tord most likely was expecting Edd to do just that. He was sure the tyrant had a few plans laid out for his new recruits, plans that would keep them by his side forever.

So there was another option, remain stubborn, and die. Edd felt certain that Tord would be able to execute his once closest friends without any remorse. Edd’s old friend did seem to believe that killing the three men, would be better than allowing them to roam free. 

If it was just Edd deciding for himself it would have been much easier. He probably would have acted like a stubborn asshole, all the way to the end. 

However, Tom and Matt's lives were on the line. Whatever Edd decided would affect his two friends and honestly Edd didn't know which would be worst. They could all die because of Edd or they could be tortured and brainwashed into becoming red army soldiers because of Edd. 

The room must have remained silent for nearly ten minutes before Tord cleared his throat, catching Edd’s attention as he looked wide-eyed up at the man.

How long had it been, Edd wondered silently. What if he had waited too long? Would Tord kill him now? Would he make Edd watched as he killed Tom and Matt?

Edd’s heart pounded in his chest, he could feel every beat, each one seemingly faster paced than the other. Maybe Tord didn't have to kill him, at this rate, he felt anxiety was his worst enemy.

To Edd’s surprise, Tord simply walked forward towards him and set a hand on Edd’s shoulder. “I'll give you until tomorrow to decide” he said softly to Edd “I suppose that is what a friend would do. Although I know you don't consider me that anymore.” he shrugged.

“Paul and Patryk will show you to your room, please do not do anything to make them angry. I don't want them to hurt you but like I said before, my soldiers are allowed to defend themselves” Tord then stepped past Edd, walking towards the door behind him. 

“Oh and if you try to run away, I will take that as a denial to join me. I will have Tom and Matt killed, then I will find you and kill you myself, Edd” the cold tone in Tord’s voice made Edd shiver, once again he found it so hard to believe that this was the same Tord he had known all those years ago. 

“Anyways, see you tomorrow” Tord added almost cheerfully as he walked out the room. It was so difficult for Edd to read him, but he knew one thing was certain. Tord was absolutely insane. 

“Okay, let's go” Paul called out to Edd, if he was attempting not to sound annoyed he failed miserably. 

This didn't bother Edd though as he walked towards the two men, he actually wanted to leave this room. He couldn't stand the thought of his friends being so close and yet he couldn't help either of them. 

The soldiers didn't take Edd very far before stopping and opening a door for Edd. “You will be staying here.” now the man with the longer hair spoke, “I will bring you some food later, you have drinks in the room. If you need anything, just knock on the door. It will be locked from the outside but there will always be a guard standing out here to assist you.” 

Edd stepped into the room, it looked luxurious, almost similar to a five star resort’s presidential suite. He looked back to Patryk and nodded “I think I will be fine thanks” He spoke, his voice still shaking. 

Not wanting to start up any other awkward conversations, Edd then shut the door, giving him a moment of peace, a moment to think about the choices he had to make. 

It wasn't long before he decided just to explore the room, he needed to clear his head anyways. 

During his exploration, he found a large bed, dressed in lavish linens, a fairly decent size tv with games and movies stacked next to it, clearly a way to keep Edd entertained. He felt as if he were a prisoner, but being treated like a king. Edd wondered if Tord treated all his enemies this way, although that was doubtful.

Frustrated Edd pushed the stack of disks down, they slid over the carpet rather pathetically “Does he think I'm some kid?” He asked to no one in particular.

What possibly annoyed Edd the most was the fact that under any other circumstance he would have been ecstatic seeing all those video games and movies just waiting for him to enjoy. 

But it wasn't the same. Not without Matt and Tom at least. After the first time Tord had left Edd thought it would be difficult to adjust. He would miss the things they use to do as a group. 

But even with Tord gone, he still had Matt and Tom. He had friends to support him. Edd hated to admit it but he actually felt lost without his friends. 

Sure he could last a few days not interacting with the two but he couldn't imagine not being able to see them ever again. 

Could he really live with himself if he made the decision to deny Tord’s offer. 

Well obviously he wouldn't have to live with himself for long if Tord kept his promise, but even still, it would be Edd’s fault if they died. 

What seemed to torment Edd the most was the simple fact that there was really nothing to decide. The choice was clear. He should save his friends any way possible. 

But as he sat down on the carpet, next to the fallen disks and plastic cases, he found himself wondering. 

What should he do?

 

\-----------------------

 

Tord allowed the door to his office to close with a soft click. It had been a just short walk away from where he had left Edd. He wanted to keep his friends close, if something happened he wanted to be ready. 

Ready for what though? 

Tord asked himself this as he sat down at his desk. There were many papers scattered across the mahogany surface, all of which he had been ignoring ever since he set his plan into action. 

It was difficult to focus, especially now, Tord’s thoughts raced more than ever. He was certain Edd would choose to join him, but what if he didn't? Could he really kill the people he once considered loyal friends. 

Well, he could kill Tom. That much was certain, the Jehovah Witness was definitely on borrowed time as far as Tord was concerned. The only reason he kept Tom alive was for Edd. He felt if either Tom or Matt were dead then his plan would not have worked. 

Matt would be difficult to kill. He was just so innocent and oblivious. Although he was easy to control. Tord pondered over the thought of leaving Matt alive. He wouldn't be very useful but he would make a decent pet. 

A frown appeared on Tord’s face, it was that kind of thinking process that seemed to be scaring Edd away.

Admittedly, Tord did go to the extreme kidnapping Tom and Matt then tricking Edd into practically getting kidnapped as well. Threatening to kill Edd and his friends was also a bit harsh. 

A flash of pain lit up at Tord’s shoulder where metal had replaced what was once his arm. With an annoyed frown, the dictator seemed to push away any guilt he was feeling for his “friends”. 

If Edd made the wrong choice then that would be Edd’s problem. If anything Tord was actually showing compassion by giving Edd a choice. Join him or die. It's extremely obvious what Edd should choose. 

But his friend was stubborn, there was no way to predict what would happen. 

It wasn't long before Paul had knocked on the door to Tord’s office. By this point Tord had taken out a cigar, attempting to calm his nerves by pulling the toxic smoke into his lungs. It didn't really make much of a difference. 

“Come in” Tord called out, watching as Paul entered the room. “All prisoners are secured in their rooms, any attempts of escape seems highly unlikely.” the soldier announced. 

Tord frowned, seeming lost in thought as he placed his cigar down next to the ashtray on his desk. “Keep them heavily guarded. They are not the type you should underestimated.” Paul nodded in reply before giving Tord a concerned look “Are you sure you can go through with this, sir?” 

“Are you underestimating me now?” Tord asked with a laugh, although the tone in his voice proved that the question did offend him in some way. 

“Let's just wait and see what path my friend chooses” 

 

\-----------------------

 

The next morning had come too soon but by then Edd had determined how he would react to Tord’s demands. 

The night before had been a disappointing one, filled with failed attempts at escaping. He tried the air vents but even after unscrewing the initial gate with the silverware he had received, there was what looked like a wall of cement with various holes allowing air flow. There were no windows in the room, Edd attempted to talk to the guards but they didn't give him much of a chance to trick them. 

This room was designed for Edd, all of the rooms were designed for each of the three friends. They were not escaping. Tord knew them too well. 

With that in mind, the decision became rather obvious to Edd. After all, it's human nature to survive, no matter what.

There was a knock at the door, informing Edd that it was time. Moments later the door was opened and Paul and Patryk entered the room before Tord followed in after them. 

“So, have you made up your mind?” Tord asked Edd, walking towards the shorter man, “Will you join me?” 

Edd sighed glancing up at Tord before nodding. “Yeah, I'll join you. I guess I don't have any other choice, do I?” 

He would do what Tord wanted for now, but he knew one day he would save his friends and they would leave this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! I didn't think I would be able to put one out today, in fact I wanted to wait until next Sunday but the story is definitely picking up and I've had alot of free time so I just spent that writing, before I knew it this chapter was finished. I will probably go back to weekly post after this chapter but I am definitely happy I could get it out for my readers. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments! You guys are great, those messages are really what motivate me the most so thank you so much!!
> 
> Also I hope everyone has a great Halloween! Be safe. Eat lots of candy.


	10. Chapter 10

“I'll do it. I'll join you,” Edd said grimly with a slight shrug of his shoulders. 

Edd made it abundantly clear that he would almost rather die than do what Tord wanted but at least for now he was being obedient. 

With a chuckle Tord placed both his hands on Edd’s shoulders “Good! I'm glad to hear it. You made the right choice Edd” he said smiling at his miserable looking friend. 

Tord wasn't oblivious, he knew Edd was unhappy, but with the plans he had prepared for the future, he also knew that Edd would be much safer by his side. His friend would see that one day. 

“What now?” Edd said, he felt nervous asking, what else could Tord possibly have planned? 

“Are you going to let Tom and Matt go now?” Edd didn't look too hopeful as he asked this. 

“No” the Norwegian said simply, “Edd why don't you follow me? I'll show you around the base and explain what will happen next.” Tord glanced at Paul and Patryk “You two can take a break. If anything happens, I can handle it” he patted his hip, where a gun sat holstered. 

The soldiers gave each other uncertain glances but didn't turn down the chance to have a short break together. “let us know if you need anything” Paul said, giving Edd a final glare before leaving with Patryk. 

“I'm glad I finally had a chance to meet your parents” Edd said rolling his eyes once the two had left. Tord laughed, “They are rather over protective, aren't they? After I left, they were all I had. I don't think I would even be here if it were not for them”

The moment of reminiscing over his past didn't last for long as Tord looked back at Edd “Well, are you ready to go?”

Edd nodded slightly, “Sure, why not?” he sighed as he followed Tord out the door and into the hallway. 

Tord began to walk, leading Edd down the hall and then up a flight of stairs. 

“Tom and Matt will need to go through some training before they can be reunited with you Edd” Tord said, continuing to walk as he spoke “Matt will be easy, part of the training is to convince him to join me. Similar to what I did with you. Matt is like a puppy. I have been starving him of any attention whatsoever. So now I just need to give him a little bit of affection and he will be willing to follow me. Tom on the other hand-” 

Edd couldn't help but snicker slightly “Tom? You actually think that you can convince him to join you?” Edd asked through soft bits of laughter. 

Tord frowned and glared a bit back at Edd, which seemed to quiet the snickering man. “Yes. I do. It will take time and quite a few little white lies but he will join me. You all will and then it will be the four of us again.” 

Edd frowned pondering over what Tord said, he seemed so determined to make this work “Why?” Edd asked, a question he had been wanting to ask since he had arrived at this base “Why do you need the three of us to be by your side so badly?” 

Tord stopped walking. Edd worried that he may have overstepped his boundaries too quickly but eventually Tord did turn to look at Edd “I don't know” He said simply “I keep thinking that it's so you won't try to kill me again but that's not completely true. Honestly, I feel something when I'm around you three that I never feel around anyone else. My creativity sparks, I feel braver, I feel-” Tord paused, his lips pressed into a small frown “I feel happy…” he said simply before walking forward once again. 

There was a slight awkward silence between the two, as Tord lead Edd out of the building. He showed Edd the courtyard, the kitchen, and various other facilities that were scattered around the base. 

They took a break around noon, grabbing a quick meal from the kitchen before heading out to the courtyard. Tord sat down adjacent to Edd at a picnic table. He waited for Edd to eat. Tord typically did not enjoy eating in front of people. A strange habit he built up from spending so much time in his office. 

The little meal consisted of a small sandwich, chips, and water, which Edd practically inhaled, not realizing how hungry he was until he started eating. Tord smirked slightly, glancing over at Edd before looking out at the large green field, watching the other soldiers wander about. 

“Oh-” Tord said as if realizing something, looking back at Edd as the man started to clean up any mess he had made. Edd waited looking puzzled “What?” 

“I forgot, I had Patryk go back and retrieve your pet. The little cat?” Tord looked at Edd waiting for his friend to confirm. 

“Ringo!” Edd gasped “I completely forgot! Where is he?” Tord smiled lightly “calm down. I'll have Patryk bring him over to you later. I just wanted you to know that he is safe” 

Edd frowned, it felt extremely suspicious when Tord acted so kind and caring. “Why did you you even bother taking him?” Edd asked.

“Well… I just thought that would make you happy” He smiled at Edd before standing. 

“I've shown you practically everything there is to see, so if you are ready I will take you back to your room” Tord stated, rubbing his shoulder where the be metal arm connected, it still hurt like hell, and all the walking around he had done today didn't help. 

Edd frowned seeming disappointed in Tord’s words “I am still a prisoner then” He mumbled. 

Tord's attention turned back to Edd, he placed his arm on the man's shoulder and sighed “I can't trust you, Edd. I know that you will just try to escape the moment you have a chance. Which is why, you will either be at my side or in your room with a guard outside.” 

This was insane, Tord couldn't possibly believe that Edd and his friends could live like this. However his ex-roommate seemed to have already made up his mind as he lead Edd back to his room. 

Once they arrived at the room, they paused at the doorway “Edd” Tord called out to his friend “I-” Tord wanted to apologize or simply prove to Edd that everything would be fine but the words did not come to him. 

“you will need to be trained to fight,” Tord said, his mind switching over to business. Instead of showing some sort of sympathy, he simply gave his friend more orders to follow. “I'll train you myself for now, we will start within a few days so be ready.” 

Edd frowned, it had seemed as though Tord wanted to say more. “Fine” was the only reply Edd could make back before shutting the door. 

Tord was surprised when Edd closed the door in his face, but the reaction was not completely unexpected. Edd was angry and upset, even if Tord had apologized he assumed that it would not have made things much better. 

Maybe if Edd was surrounded by his friends again, perhaps then he would feel more content. 

All Tord could do was hope that would be the case as he carried himself back to his office. 

It wasn't long before Paul and Patryk entered the office as well, interrupting Tord’s moment of peace away from everyone. He seemed annoyed with them but soon sighed in defeat knowing there was always work to be done. Tord was the one who insisted on capturing the three men, he couldn't blame Paul or Patryk if he was having trouble doing what needed to be done. Perhaps it really would have been better just to kill the three. 

This thought crossed Tord’s mind as he glanced up at his most trusted allies “You can begin the next phase with Tom” Tord spoke with a sigh. 

The two soldiers gave each other uneasy looks, before Patryk stepped forward “Are you sure you want us to leave for this? What if something happens?” He asked worriedly. 

Tord rolled his eyes “I am not helpless. This-” He held his metallic arm up for the two to see “this does not slow me down. I can still shoot and I can do what needs to be done if it comes to that” Tord's expression became grim for a moment. “Besides, I need Tom to think that I am dead, and that Matt and Edd are dead. If he sees any of us then this plan will not work.” 

“That’s true.” Paul said, he had learned not to question Tord long ago, even if the plan sounded absolutely insane. Tord knew what he was doing, and everything ended up going exactly as planned. Well, almost everything.

“The other base is only a few miles away” Paul spoke, mostly to Patryk, reassuring him that everything would be fine “if you need us Red Leader then all you have to do is call. We will be here within just a few hours.” 

Tord smiled and nodded “Yes, but everything will be fine. You don't have to worry, either of you. I've been on my own before.” 

Patryk didn't seem convinced but Paul nodded, taking the other soldier’s hand “It will be fine. We are taking the dangerous one away. You should be worried for us” Paul spoke laughing slightly, this brought a small smile to Patryk’s lips “You're right” He said with soft laughter “We should get paid some kind of bonus for this” 

The three continued to talk, the subjects varying as the day drifted into night. 

“It's probably best if you go now” Tord said with a sigh “be careful you two.” 

They nodded as both men made their leave, Paul paused at the door and glanced back at Tord “You too. I don't want have to come to your rescue” 

Tord rolled his eyes and waved the man on, but he couldn't help but smile. He would miss Paul and Patryk, but they were the only ones he trusted with this mission. He hoped to see them again soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Matt wasn't sure how long he had been secluded, handcuffed to a table in a blank white room. 

It felt like days. There were no windows in the room and the light remained on constantly, making it difficult to tell how much time had actually passed. 

Usually by the time Matt began feeling hungry someone would enter the room bringing food, but those moments were always sporadic. They never came when Matt called out, only after he had become quite for some time a soldier would eventually enter the room, saying nothing, giving him a small portion of food before leaving. 

It was a miserable experience, not knowing where he was nor why this was even happening to him. 

The only company Matt had were his own thoughts, the whispers in his mind telling him that he was in danger. Waking up alone in an empty room, that would be enough to cause almost anyone panic. 

Questions raced in his mind, where were his friends. Tom and Edd. Were they safe? Had they been captured as well? Who would even want to capture any of them? 

Matt was a simple guy, a little egoistic but that never really hurt anyone. Why was this happening to him?

A soft drop of liquid hit Matt's as he realized in shock, he was crying, he never cried. Even when his best friend had punched him, he fought back tears but didn't cry. 

He was suppose to be the hopeful one. The happy friend. He wasn't allowed to cry, but no matter how hard he tried to stop it, the tears continued to stream down his face. 

Matt remained in this state for a few minutes, his sobs echoing around the room, taunting him. 

However, his soft crying abruptly ceased when the sound of knocking filled the room. 

Feeling ashamed for breaking down, Matt attempted to rub the tears out of his eyes. This proved a bit difficult with his hands cuffed to the table, only allowing a small amount of movement. 

With a loud creak, the door was pushed open. Matt turned away avoiding looking directly at the intruder as the sound of soft footsteps echoed throughout the room. 

Matt’s face was still wet with tears, but he found himself able to choke them back, while the footsteps stopped just behind where he sat. This confused Matt slightly, usually the soldiers would drop off his food and leave never spending more than a few moments in the white dungeon.

Silence then once again filled the room, drawing out for what felt like an eternity. Matt wanted to talk, he wanted to ask why this was happening, he wanted to scream, but the silence persisted. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.

It wouldn’t be Matt who broke the silence but instead the man standing behind him, speaking in a voice that struck Matt as familiar. A voice that caused shivers to tremble through Matt’s body as he cautiously bowed his face closer to the table, as if to protect it from some inevitable harm he assumed would fall upon him.

“What a pleasure it is to see you again, old friend”

Tord could honestly say that he felt uneasy, his eyes focusing on his friend, watching the man shiver. The words seemed to leave his lips before he could even process what to actually say. All of his time knowing Matt, Tord had never seen the man break down, he had never seen him cry. 

But this is what he wanted, isn’t it?

He had gone too far, done too much damage, he couldn’t turn back now. The only other option was for his friends to die, so although it felt wrong, he would need to refrain from feeling any guilt. After all, this was for the best. 

Tord waited a few minutes for Matt to answer, but only received silence in return “Did you forget about me again Matt? I thought you would be a little happy to see me” 

“I didn't forget, you punched me” Matt said, his voice a barely audible mumble. “You hurt Tom, you destroyed our home” 

“Well, I would think we were even now” Tord said, Matt glanced up finally, mostly out of curiosity from what Tord had said. The young red-head couldn't help but gasp, his eyes falling upon the metal arm Tord now wore, as well as the scars littered across the right side of Tord’s face, partially covered by an eye patch. 

Tord laughed at Matt's reaction “See?” his metal hand brushed against the scars on his face “You and your friends did this,” 

Matt shivered, finding it hard to take his eyes off Tord now. He couldn't imagine, enduring through such horrible injuries. 

A terrible thought then seemed to trouble Matt “You want revenge?” He gasped in shock. 

Tord laughed before patting Matt on the shoulder gently “No, no I would never want that Matt. I do want something from you though, but it is simple request really. I just want you to join me. Become a soldier in my army, Edd has decided to join me already and Tom will eventually join as well. We can be friends again” 

Tord's voice was light, inviting even as he stood next to Matt, his hand resting on the man’s shoulder. “Would you do that for me Matt?” 

The question seemed to hang in the air. Matt was stunned by Tord’s proposal so much so that he remained speechless. 

He was relieved knowing that Tord wasn't going to kill him, well at least not yet. But the idea of becoming a soldier for Tord’s army. Matt didn't even know Tord had an army until this moment. It was a lot to processed. 

Matt wondered if he agreed with Tord’s demands, would he ever see his family again? Would his life remain simple? It couldn't possibly stay the same. This was just too much of a commitment. 

He felt cornered, worried of what would happen if he refused, but also feeling fearful of a future in which he became a soldier for a vicious army. He had to make a choice, but what would it be?

While the silence dragged on, Tord found himself becoming annoyed, he didn't think Matt would hesitate. The right choice was obvious after all. 

Maybe, his friend just needed a little push in the right direction.

With this thought in mind, Tord stepped back away from Matt's chair, “I'm sorry, perhaps you need time to think about my proposal, I will be back in a few days for your answer.” he stated this in a cold, uncaring tone before walking towards the door. 

“No!” Matt's voice rang out, causing Tord to pause and look back at the redhead “Excuse me?” 

Matt seemed flustered, but worried as well as his eyes darted around the room, he couldn't stand one more moment locked up in this prison cell. He would do anything, if it meant his freedom. 

Anything. 

“I'll do whatever you want Tord. I'll join your army, please don't leave me in here” his voice broke as he fought back tears “I can't stay in here, please”

Tord turned and walked back, he unlocked Matt's cuffs before smiling down at his friend “Don't worry, my brave little soldier, you will be safe with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tord's such a jerk sometimes
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading and commenting! You guys are awesome!


	12. Chapter 12

The bitter taste of cheap vodka, burning down his throat as he drank. That was the last clear memory Tom had. 

Everything else was a vague blur, he must have blacked out at the bar, perhaps he had drank too much. 

What troubled Tom was that even after what felt like days, his mind remained in a constant fog-like state. 

There were flashes of memories, ones he knew were false. For instance, he could have sworn that he was pushed into a car by strange men. Later, he remembered seeing his ex-roommate, Tord, sitting next to him in the car. Dream or not Tom wouldn't take any chances, he reached out and grabbed Tord’s throat, pushing his weight against the other man. 

This “dream” didn't last long, Tom soon felt a sharp pain as something struck at his head, causing him to blackout. 

He also had a vivid dream of watching his friends being murdered by that psychotic commie. He watched his friends die, just to watch it happen again as the dreams continued.

Others were peaceful, he dreamed that Tord never left at all, that he eventually became friends with his roommate. He dreamed that they were all safe and happy. 

Tom was beginning to wonder if he would ever wake up, or if these torturous dreams would simply continue on forever. 

He was chained to the wall in one of his dreams, or perhaps he was actually coherent enough to see what was real compared to the false. 

He didn't see much of the room before soldiers entered and injected him with some unknown liquid. He wondered briefly if they were drugging him, it seemed like the logical guess but he couldn't do much about his situation now. 

Whatever they injected him with took effect. The world faded from his view and once again as the dreams welcomed him. 

For the most part he couldn't actually remember many of the dreams, it felt like he was in a world made up of darkness. 

The only thing that told him he was still alive was the pain. 

He had a horrid headache and felt extremely nauseous, it was nearly unbearable but Tom felt relieved in knowing that he was alive, he could feel pain, and he clung to that pain in order to keep his sanity. Eventually, this would pass and he would wake up. 

It was difficult to tell how much time had passed, but Tom felt that it must have been days after his initial blackout, he could hardly hold his eyes opened as two soldiers entered the room. They released Tom from his binds, he slipped into unconsciousness before he could even see their faces.

When his eyes opened again, he was in the back of a moving car, laid out on the seat while two men sat in the front. He opened his mouth, trying to demand where they were taking him what were they planning? No words came out, he could feel his mind slipping away, his world once again faded into darkness. 

Tom woke again feeling actually a bit coherent. This wasn't a dream, he determined, this was real. With that thought in mind he quickly sat up, before opening his eyes allowing the light in the room to blind him. It was true, this was real, his mind no longer felt completely shrouded by fog.

However the quick movement, did caused the world to seemingly spin around Tom, nausea kicked in causing him to fall back down against the cot he had been laying on when he awoke. 

“Okay, everything's okay” Tom muttered breathlessly, not feeling very convinced by his own words. 

After a few moments, Tom felt well enough to at least assess the situation. Find out where he was, and maybe what had happened to him. 

He slowly opened his eyes, but was once again met with a sharp discomfort. 

So, he determined with a frustrated sigh, movement caused him to feel nauseous, while opening his eyes seemed to give him an unbearable migraine. He sighed in defeat, what could he do? 

Feeling rather useless, Tom at least attempted to move both his arms and legs, hoping that the list of his troubles would not grow longer. 

He was able to move all of his limbs with ease, and the slight shifting of his body didn't seem to make him feel any more nauseous than he currently felt. He noticed that his right hand had been cuffed and was linked to the cot he lay on, other than that, he had no other restraints. 

As time passed, all of Tom's previous symptoms began to fade. It was a slow, miserable process but eventually Tom even found himself able to sit up and glance around the room, through squinted, dark eyes, allowing as little light to hit them as possible. 

The room seemed rather dull, the only furniture, was the bed he lay on and a small nightstand, on top of which sat a lamp and a plate of food. 

Tom's stomach turned just at the sight of food, however he did click off the lamp, allowing the room to become flooded in darkness. 

This action tremendously reduced, Tom's headache, it was still there but he could at least glance around the room now without feeling as if his head would simply explode. 

Again, he couldn't see much, now that the room was shrouded in darkness. He noticed a door on the far side of the room, there was a small window at the top of the door, allowing light to bleed in. 

Tom could hear light footsteps and talking as someone would pass his room but it was only a brief moment of noise before the room fell silent once more. 

It seemed the only thing left for Tom to do now was wait. It wasn't long before sleep took him once more. 

The headache did actually prove to be quite useful, as a soft click of the door being unlocked triggered a sharp pain, which woke Tom. He sat up quickly, ignoring the way his stomach flipped in protest. His hands tightened into fist as his eyes glared towards the door, watching light flood into the room when the door slowly opened. 

Two soldiers entered the dark room, one making his way over to the bed stand and clicking on the light. 

Tom had hoped that the majority of his migraine would have faded by now, however his hopes were shattered once the light clicked on. 

It felt as if needles were stabbing his brain over and over again, he groaned in pain before covering his eyes with his hands. “Turn it off” he all but growled at the soldier, who nervously obeyed. 

“S-sorry” he replied, quickly turning the light back off. 

The room fell back into darkness and remained silent, the only audible sound was Tom's heavy breath as he tried to push back the seemingly endless pain in his head. 

Eventually, the pain did subside. Tom slowly removed his hands from his eyes and allowed himself to glance cautiously at the two men. 

The soldier who had turned on the lamp and standing closest to Tom, happened to be a timid looking man, Tom could see in even in the dark room that the man wore long hair, which at the moment he had pulled back. 

Nervously, the soldier slowly stepped back, staying at the other soldier’s side. 

Now Tom took a moment to glance at the other, noticing almost immediately the man’s eyebrows, which appeared to be larger than any he had ever seen. 

Each men had distinctive properties to them, Tom determined that it would be easy to tell them apart if he ever needed to at least. They actually seemed familiar, he could have sworn he had seen them before. 

The one with the eyebrows broke the silence “I'm Paul, and this is Patryk. We have been assigned to look after you by our leader” 

Tom frowned “What are you talking about? What leader?” He asked feeling extremely puzzled which only furthered the annoyance he felt at the moment. 

“The Red Leader” Paul replied simply “There is no need to worry” Patryk added “You've been taken in by the Red Army”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly had no idea that this chapter would be this long, I have decided to split it up into two parts.   
> Thank you for reading! See you next Sunday!


	13. Chapter 13

Paul and Patryk glanced at one another, they knew their mission, the lies they would need to make this man believe. It would not be a simple task but they were each determined to fulfill the task given to them. 

Patryk took a cautious step forward, “Are you okay?” He asked, his voice quiet and caring. “You've been asleep for a few days” 

Noise and light were Tom's worst enemies at the moment, even as the soldier stepped forward, the light tapping of his boot hitting the cement floor triggered a series of sharp discomfort throughout Tom's head. 

He groaned slightly, his hands pressing against his temple in an attempt to alleviate the pain “I'm fine” Tom muttered “I want to know what the hell is going on” he was more troubled about the situation he was in. 

Paul shook his head “We will have a doctor come look at you first, then we will explain. You were in an… accident. You could have a concussion” 

In actuality, Paul had knocked the man out when he attacked Tord, a small part of Tom's memories which had not been a dream. That could have caused a serious injury that went unnoticed by the two soldiers. 

If Tom ended up dying under their watch, Tord would be furious. So although it delayed their mission, the two men determined it would be best to ensure Tom's health before continuing with their mission. 

However, their prisoner didn't seem to pleased with the decision. Every moment Tom had to wait for answers caused him to become more and more frustrated. Luckily for all of them, he didn't need to wait too terribly long before the doctor arrived. 

After checking Tom's injuries, which included various wounds and bruises over his body, as well as a small wound in the back of his head, the doctor concluded that Tom did have a mild concussion. He gave Tom medicine for the nausea and headache then went on his way, leaving him alone with the two soldiers. 

Patryk handed Tom a water bottle, which he accepted before using the water to swallow down a couple of the pills the doctor had left. Although, after dealing with the constant noise and light, Tom was beginning to grow accustomed to the continuous pain. 

“You really should eat something too” Patryk said in a soft tone, which earned him a glare. “I don't want food. I want you two to explain what the hell this is.” Tom muttered angrily “You said Red Army, is that where this is? Your base? And what do you mean by accident? The last thing I remember I was having a drink, then I woke up here, handcuffed to this damn bed” 

Paul frowned at Tom, he had to fight the urge not to knock the smart-mouthed man out again. “Is that the last thing you remember? The bar?” 

“Yeah” Tom scoffed in annoyance “and I think I remember seeing that commie bastard, which would make sense, in the wanted posters he wore a uniform similar to yours” 

“Are you talking about Tord Larsson? He use to live with you and your friends right?” Patryk asked. 

“Yeah, I know that jerk has to be behind all of this, where is he?” Tom glared angrily at the two soldiers. 

“He's dead” Paul said simply, although there was a deep anger in his tone “If I remember correctly he was shot down by you, he didn't survive the crash…” 

Those two words seemed to shatter Tom's world “Dead?” He couldn't believe what these men were saying. He wasn't a murderer. He wasn't like Tord. He was just trying to protect his friends. 

“You're lying, this is a trick.” Tom snapped suddenly, his eyes narrowing doubtfully at the two soldiers. 

Patryk felt uneasy, was this man able to see through their lies so easily? “Believe what you want” Paul replied surprising both men in the room “but honestly think about it. Do you really think anyone could survive that?” 

Tom frowned glancing down at his hands, he couldn't believe it; true it did trouble him after he shot down the giant machinery, the thought that he had murdered his old roommate crossed his mind more often than he liked to admit. And when it did he typically gulped down alcohol in order to push the thoughts away. 

But he was completely sober now, the horrible images seemed to flood his mind relentlessly, seeing the explosion, imagining Tord's body being ripped apart by fire and metal. Or worst picturing the harpoon bullet, pierced through the center of Tord's chest. 

“Why?” Tom finally muttered, not looking up “Why did you bring me here? If I killed one of your men then why am I here? Why didn't you just kill me?” 

“The Red Leader thought that you would be useful to us. He was impressed by your skills, shooting a giant robot down from miles away with a harpoon gun isn't an easy feat” Paul explained “Plus, I believe he wanted to show you mercy… he knows how much you lost, you have nowhere else to go” 

Tom scoffed “Just because To-” He paused, he just couldn't find himself able to say the man's name, not yet “Just because that bastard destroyed my last home doesn't mean that I didn't find somewhere else to live.” 

Paul and Patryk once again gave each other an uncertain look, a trait they had that was beginning to annoy Tom, like they knew something he didn't, “So you really don't remember?” Patryk asked with a frown. 

Confusion clouded Tom's mind “What? What the hell are you two talking about?” 

Paul dug into his pocket and pulled out a small photo before handing it to Tom. It showed an image of the apartment buildings Tom lived in, well what was left of the apartment buildings. 

The entire structure had clearly been destroyed, all that remained were rubble and embers. 

The photo trembled in Tom's hands as he found himself unable to look away. “Where are Matt and Edd?” he asked, his voice frail. 

“I'm sorry” Patryk's expression was filled with guilt “They are gone.” 

For a few moments, silence filled the room, it was Tom who finally spoke, although his words were a mumble, practically inaudible. 

“What?” Patryk blinked, giving Tom a confused look.

“I don't believe you!” Tom snapped “This all seems like some clever trick, thought up by that Norwegian jerk. It isn't true. I-it can't be true. Edd-” his voice broke, as he fought back tears “You're lying. You have to be lying.” 

Paul watched the British man break down in front of him, so far the man did exactly as Tord had predicted. Initially, Paul had actually been worried. The black-eyed man seemed so dangerous when looked at from afar. The soldier had voiced his opinion to Tord, who laughed and explained that Tom had weaknesses just like everyone else. The thought of losing his friends, seemed to be the key to breaking Tom. Once shattered, Paul and Patryk could rebuild the pieces, creating a perfect soldier for their leader.

A thought seemed to grab Paul's attention, “If you really don't believe us then we can take you there. You can see it yourself” the soldier suggested, the building had actually been destroyed after all. Once the man saw that, there would not be much room left for doubt.

Tom trembled as he considered the suggestion, did he really want to see that? He couldn't just take their word for it, they could easily be lying, he hoped more than anything that they were.

After debating for a few minutes, Tom gave a defeated sigh, his dark eyes glancing up at the two soldiers “I don't believe you.” he mumbled “If it turns out that you weren't lying and you really will allow me to go, then I want to. I want to see everything for myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading, I wanted to do an extra chapter this week for everyone. There will be one more chapter following Tom's sub-plot. The next chapter will be uploaded on Sunday! Thank you again for reading and commenting!


	14. Chapter 14

A feeling of anxiety and worry overwhelmed Tom as the three men traveled closer to the “truth”.

Hours slipped by, while the vehicle bounced and jolted, due to the rough roads. Trees were the only landmark between the base and the city, making it difficult for Tom to plot an escape route. If he tried to travel on foot he would most likely end up lost. 

Once Tom recognized the familiar tall buildings in the distance, he began to feel even more anxious. 

He had hoped that the soldiers would deny letting him see the apartment. Honestly he wanted to cling onto any chance that his friends were actually alive. 

Doubt filled him however, and a feeling of dread sunk in as the car turned down the the road that lead to the place he once called home. Tom could see a small cloud of smoke, rising from the stubborn embers that refused to burn out. 

This smoke triggered a realization in Tom, those men were not lying. 

Before the car had even pulled to a stop, Tom was practically jumping out of it. He ran towards the rubble, and stared in shock, the entire building had been destroyed. It was gone. 

Paul and Patryk both stepped out of the car, but they didn't approach, they would give him the time he needed. 

Tom walked over the soot and burning embers, not seeming to worry much if his cloths were damaged. He was looking for something, although he didn't know what he was searching for. Edd and Matt? He wouldn't find them here anymore. Or anywhere. It was hard to hang on to any belief that they were alive, no one would go to this much trouble just to trick him. Not even Tord. 

Trying to grasp at the reality that his friends were truly gone felt impossible to Tom, he just knew Edd and Matt would show up. Laughing. Teasing him for getting upset. 

Of course, that wouldn't be the case this time. Tom had lost everything and he couldn't even remember how. 

After collecting himself, pushing back any emotions that may prove as a weakness, Tom slowly turned and walked back over to the soldiers. 

He was still alive, at least for now he was, and once he found out who caused this disaster he would get his revenge. Although he felt certain he knew who the guilty ones were. 

Those red army bastards, it had to have been them. 

Tom paused for a moment, he was far enough away that the two men would be unable to see him. He searched briefly for a weapon, however something familiar caught his eye. 

A little brown bear, now black and singed, but familiar to Tom. A choked chuckle escaped his lips his hands moving to pick up the small toy. 

His chuckle built up into laughter as he looked down at the seemingly invincible toy, cradled in his hands.

Of all the things to survive it had to be that toy, it couldn't be Susan? He thought as his laughter echoed throughout the desolate lot. 

Paul and Patryk glanced out towards the man as they heard bits of laughter. “I feel uncertain about this” Patryk said “that man is never going to believe us, he won't join Red Leader” 

Paul frowned a little, taking a moment to pull out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket before lighting one and inhaling deeply. As he breathed out gray smoke, he looked back at his partner “Don't worry. He'll join us.”

“How can you be so certain?” Patryk asked in a frustrated tone. 

“Because… He's a lot like I was before I met you. He thinks that he's got nothing to live for.” Paul inhaled from his cigarette, his eyes watching cautiously as Tom began to walk back over to the two, holding an object in his arms. 

“Have your pistol ready” Paul mumbled to Patryk, tossing the cigarette onto the ground and placing his own hand on the gun he had holstered to his waist. 

They were both prepared for a fight, but relaxed when they saw that all Tom carried was a small, damaged teddy bear. 

“You wouldn't believe what I found” Tom said, through bits of broken laughter. 

“Are you okay?” Patryk frowned, he began to worry that Tom could be slipping into a bit of hysteria, his hand tightened on the handle of his pistol. If he needed to, he would put the man down. Let the Red Leader get angry, he wasn't willing to risk Paul's safety. 

However, both men were surprised as Tom became quiet. “I'm fine,” was all he gave as a reply. Although both Paul and Patryk were well aware, the man was far from “fine”. 

“Well you've seen the truth now, do you believe us?” Paul asked in an impatient tone. 

It annoyed Tom that this man acted so inconvenienced, and it took nearly every ounce of strength not to simply attack the smug asshole. However, Tom could see the way Patryk was watching him, his hand never leaving the handle of his gun. If Tom did anything he would most likely end up getting shot, and although death would actually be a relief at the moment, he was unwilling to give up. Not before finding out what really happened. 

“Well, I do believe that my home was destroyed. Again…” Tom frowned seeming lost in thought for a moment “Can I ask you some questions?” he asked, his eyes narrowing towards Paul. 

The man with the large eyebrows shrugged in reply before pulling out another cigarette and lighting it. Patryk visibly relaxed as well, his hand slowly moving from the handle of his gun. 

“Did your army do this?”

Paul glanced over at Patryk, they had a sort of silent way of speaking to one another, one look told Patryk to let Paul do the talking, he was a much better liar. 

“No, although according to our leader, it is partially our fault that this happened. Apparently, enemy forces had been informed of the fact that you were once friends with Tord Larsson, who you know was wanted for serious crimes. We are not sure if they believed Tord was still alive and hiding out with you three or if they simply thought you were enemies as well. Whatever the case, they saw it fit to eliminate you and your friends. We were getting some supplies in town when we saw the explosion. We found you laying on the ground, just a few feet from the building. My guess is that some debris knocked you out on your way home. You're lucky you lived. 

“I wouldn't call it that” Tom sighed as he tried to take in what this man had said, it was still a lot to believe. It made sense but at the same time, it was difficult for Tom to accept everything these soldiers told him as truth. 

“Okay, next question. Who is your leader?” 

Paul laughed softly and shook his head as he exhaled a cloud of smoke “I cannot tell you his name, he is simply known as the Red Leader. I'm sure you know a great deal about him just by watching the news. He's a ruthless man, but he gets the job done. If you actually become a decent soldier then maybe you will get to meet him” 

Tom scoffed “What makes you think I'm joining your army?” 

The soldier frowned at this “Well we have orders to kill you if you don't” he replied coolly finishing off the cigarette before tossing it to the ground. 

Patryk took this as a signal and removed his pistol from the holster on his hip. He pointed his gun towards Tom before clicking the safety off. 

“So what do you say kid, do you wanna join us, we can help you get revenge against those assholes that killed your friends. Or do you want to be put to rest along with them?” Paul smirked, watching Tom for a reaction. Patryk seemed nervous, worried that Paul was pushing the man too far over the edge. His finger hovered over the trigger. 

“I'm not that much younger than you” Tom mumbled referring to the “kid” comment “You can put your gun down, and you didn't have to threaten me. I had planned to join you anyways, it's like you said. I've got no where else to go.” he sighed glancing down at the stuffed bear, he walked back over to the ashes of his old home and set the toy down before returning to the soldiers. 

“I'll become a soldier of the Red Army. And I will get my revenge.” 

 

Tricking Tom into joining the army had been easier than either Paul or Patryk had expected. In fact, Patryk was rather impressed with Paul, his companion had basically came up with the answers to Tom's questions on the spot. However, Tom would not have known this, he believed Paul and even seemed eager to obtain a false revenge. Patryk felt relieved believing that at this current rate, their mission would not drag on for much longer. 

Soon the three were back at the base, preparing a permanent room for Tom to board in. 

Once the room had been completed for Tom, Paul gave him a key and announced the rules while Tom stayed on base. 

There was a midnight curfew, a five minute limit on hot water, ect. basic rules you would need to follow living on most military bases. However, one rule seemed to trouble Tom greatly. 

No alcohol. 

 

“Seriously, I can't have any?” Tom asked in asked frustrated tone “Not on base,” Paul replied with a slight smirk “and trust me you don't want me break any of the rules.” 

“What happens if I do?”

“Depending on the offense you will double drills, one meal a day, and you will have to give up your room, sleeping outside for whatever would be the determined amount of time. If it is serious enough you could be executed” Paul replied with a shrug.

Tom frowned, he would just have to be more careful, but he wasn't will to give up his alcohol. 

In fact once the two men had finally left Tom alone, he went on a desperate search for the desired substance. 

Knowing that the previous soldiers would have had to hide any alcohol they brought onto the base, Tom hoped he could find some of the hidden treasure. 

He searched in the closet, in cabinets, under the sink, but couldn't find a drop of it. Just as he was going to give up, he felt a loose floorboard shift from under his feet. Filled with determination, Tom was able to work the floorboard out and found what he was looking for, nuzzled in a small hole under the floor. 

It was a rather decent sized bottle of vodka, it was even his preferred brand, Smirnoff. With a happy sigh Tom hugged the bottle “Oh how I've missed you” he mumbled. 

His fingers quickly unscrewed the lid before he greedily brought the bottle up to his lips. 

 

“When do you think we should check on him?” Patryk asked Paul, they had gone to their own rooms by now, leaving a guard in front of Tom's room. 

They were each well aware of the alcohol Tom had gotten his hands on, seeing as they were the ones who planted it. Tord believed that allowing the man to torture himself would be the best method in breaking Tom. 

“We should give it an hour or two” Paul said, moving to shrug off his coat as he spoke. 

“That gives us a little alone time time” Patryk smiled Paul's way. Paul smirked back before giving Patryk a light kiss “Why don't we use that to our advantage then?” 

 

As planned the two made their way back to Tom's room nearly two hours after they had left the man alone. 

The soldier standing guard had informed them that it had been quiet, giving them a reason to relax as they stopped in front of the door leading to Tom's room. 

Paul's knuckles rapped lightly against the door and he waited for a reply. When no response came, the soldier frowned “Tom? It's just Paul and Patryk, we wanted to see how you were settling in” he called out, once again receiving silence as his answer. 

The two glanced at one another, a feeling of uncertainty sinking in. “We’re coming in” Paul announced, opening the door, which had surprisingly been left unlocked. 

The room appeared empty at first, worrying the soldiers at the thought of their prisoner escaping.

However the sound of harsh coughing as well as gagging caught the attention of the two men. They both wandered closer to the noise before finding a rather pathetic sight. 

Tom sat next to the bathtub in the bathroom, a half-empty bottle of vodka lying next to him. His hands clutched tightly to the waste bin as he continued to gag violently. 

Both soldiers were worried, the amount of a alcohol Tom had consumed, as well as the fact fact that he had not eaten anything and was heavily medicated, troubled the men greatly. 

“Stay with him” Paul told Patryk, his voice firm and determined “I'm going to find the doctor.” 

With that Paul left, leaving Patryk with the miserable man. 

The room remained an awkward stillness, the only sound being the harsh coughing and gagging coming from Tom. 

Patryk seemed more than frustrated but he remained calm, finding a glass and filling it with water before handing the glass to Tom. 

“I really don't know what you are trying to accomplish” the soldier mumbled coolly, waiting for Tom to take the glass. 

Tom trembled holding the cool cup in his hands and sipping lightly at the water. Patryk’s words seemed to hit a brick wall, Tom didn't even acknowledge that the other man was there other than by accepting the water. 

“Were you trying to kill yourself?” Patryk asked, his tone growing colder “I don't understand why the Red Leader would want someone as weak a you”

His words were harsh, yet they still seemed to hold no effect on Tom. Patryk grew more and more frustrated, finding himself unable to stay in the room with Tom any longer. He started to leave when the other man's sobs caught his attention. 

“I don't know either” Tom sobbed out the words, a slight slur hanging onto them. “I couldn't protect my friends, I killed my old roommate. No matter what I do or where I go. I always fuck up” 

His body trembled as he sobbed, it was truly a pathetic sight, although Patryk found himself actually feeling sorry for the man. 

The soldier knelt down next to Tom, before placing a hand on his shoulder “Look, I know it hurts and I know it's hard, but you can't just drink this away and pretend it didn't happen. You-” Patryk paused for a moment, he hated lying, all the reasons for Tom's sadness were based making it difficult to comfort the man without lying. 

“You killed someone” Patryk then said simply, wanting to at least make his point known to Tom “You're friends are dead and you've lost everything. But you are still alive. You can make a difference. That won't happen if you drowned yourself in regret. If you cared at all about the sacrifice your friends made then you would never touch another bottle” 

Tom frowned, the soldier did have a good point, he needed to change. With that thought in mind, he reached out and grabbed the bottle of vodka. Feeling a new sense of determination, he opened the bottle before holding it upside down over the tub, allowing the liquid to pour down the drain. 

He needed to change and he would. Starting now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Tom~


	15. Chapter 15

A shot rang out, piercing the silence of the cool morning as the sound of shattering glass followed, signalling that the bullet hit its mark. 

“You are getting better Edd” the heavy accent was unmistakable as Edd glanced back to see Tord, watching him with an encouraging smile on his face. 

Edd scoffed slightly, raising the gun and aiming it at the next target “Are you done with all your work?” He asked before firing, the bullet missed. 

“You need to relax, you are still too stiff” Tord told Edd with a sigh “I am done with my work for now but being a leader of a large army means that I tend to stay busy. Why, did you miss me, old friend?” he smirked at Edd but only received gunfire as a reply, followed by the glass shattering once more. 

“Thanks for the advice” Edd muttered with heavy sarcasm. 

Tension continued to rise between Tord and Edd, nearly everyday Edd would ask about Tom's well-being. Which Tord would always give some vague reply to. 

He honestly didn't know much other than what Paul and Patryk would tell him through brief phone calls. He knew that Tom was alive, that he believed everything that Tord wanted, and that his training was going well. Tord felt certain that he would be able to allow Tom to join them soon, but the timing had to be perfect. 

It had been nearly a month since Paul and Patryk left. Time seemed to move quickly, although that was mostly because Tord hardly had a moment to himself. If he wasn't working with something related to the army, then he was with Edd and Matt attempting to train the two. It seems that he would never have a moment of rest, although he didn't mind really. This was what he had wanted after all. 

Three shots rang out pulling Tord from his thoughts, each hit their mark, causing glass to shatter onto the ground.

There was an excited giggle from the man standing on the other side of Tord. The tall redhead waved his gun excitedly “This is so much fun Todd, it's like those games in the theme parks. Do I get a prize if I break all the glass?” 

Tord sighed glancing over at Matt “It's Tord. If that's too hard to remember then just call me Red Leader,” he said trying to remain patient with the energetic man “And please stop waving that gun around. It's not a toy, you should never aim it at something unless you are willing to destroy your target.”

Matt pouted, this had not been the first time Tord had fussed at him, the main reason they were practicing so early in the morning was due to the fact that Matt made the other soldiers uncomfortable when he got excited and started waving his gun around. 

“Alright Green Leader I will try to remember that” the redhead said determinedly. 

“It's Red Leader, I can't even understand how you could mess that up. You know what just… keep trying to call me Tord. I would rather you mess that up.” 

“Sure thing Tim” Matt replied cheerfully causing Tord to sigh in defeat. 

Edd couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the two, the way they reacted to one another reminded Edd of simpler days, before Tord had left.

It had been just the four of them and together they seemed to be invincible. They went on so many adventures, fighting zombies, exploring old ruins. And yes, Tom and Tord clashed quite often, but they still remained together. 

Back then Edd wouldn't really be able to consider them just friends. They were more like a family to him. Although, he would never allow them to see this sentimental side of his. Maybe if he had Tord wouldn't have left. 

It was too late to think of the past now, the metal arm beneath Tord's coat and the eyepatch adorning his face, were a quick reminder to Edd that they could never go back to the way things were. 

If only Edd could go back in time, then maybe he could fix everything but that was obviously impossible. Time traveling was something that even Tord could not invent, although it would make for a rather interesting adventure. 

Soon Edd and Matt finished shooting each of the glass bottles set up as targets. This signaled the end of their training for the day, so the two holstered their guns and began walking back to their rooms with Tord. 

Edd wondered silently why Tord allowed them to keep their guns, they could easily shoot their capture and run. However that was easier said than done. Edd didn't think he could actually bring himself to shoot someone he had considered family. Maybe Tord knew that.

“I caught up on most of my work” Tord spoke pulling Edd away from his thoughts “maybe we could watch a movie together later, like old times?” 

He had an innocent look to him as he tilted his head curiously waiting for an answer. 

Matt nodded excitedly before looking at Edd. Not much he changed with Matt, Tord had even gone to the trouble of bringing all of Matt's novelties to the base, so he was basically content with the way things were. 

Edd still had his doubts of course, but so far Tord had done nothing to hurt either of them. Maybe everything would be okay here, Edd thought, at least until they were able to escape together with Tom. 

Until then, it didn't hurt to have fun and Tord really was trying to gain their trust once more. So Edd sighed in defeat and turned to look at Tord. 

He wanted to smile and tell the man that they would see him later that day, however the noise of a harsh explosion interrupted Edd. 

The three were stunned as the building they were in trembled from obvious blasts striking it. The sound of planes could be heard, even from inside the trembling building, and then a siren filled the base. 

Tord glanced over at Edd and Matt, they each seemed completely shocked by the sudden attack, honestly Tord felt shaken up as well but he pushed that away as he drew his gun and smirked “I haven't been able to use this in a while. I've missed it.” he mumbled mostly to himself. 

His thoughts then focused on Edd and Matt “You two need to draw your weapons now, I'll lead you back to your rooms. You'll be safe there”

“What's going on?” Edd asked, unable to control the shakiness of his voice. 

“Isn't it obvious Edd” Tord said with a slight smirk,”We are under attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading~


	16. Chapter 16

Paul glared angrily at Tom, while Tom returned the look with a smug grin. 

“So Patryk, what's the count? Who shot more targets this time?” Tom asked, although he already knew that he had won. 

Patryk frowned nervously, Paul absolutely hated to lose but Tom had clearly shot more targets down. “Well,” He sighed shyly “Tom hit 32 while Paul hit 27. Tom you win this time” 

Tom cheered for himself before smirking at Paul “So that's what? the tenth time I've beaten you” he laughed “maybe you should just go ahead and retire, old man” 

Paul frowned at Tom “Stop calling me old, I'm like five years older than you. And don't think I won't punch you, kid. You got lucky… again. But I'll beat you tomorrow” 

“Well then stop calling me kid.” Tom said in a frustrated tone before chuckling softly “Oh and good luck with that, I'll just have to keep beating you until you admit that I'm better.” 

Patryk laughed watching the two, most people avoided Paul and Patryk because of their bond with the Red Leader, it was nice to see Paul interacting with someone else. They were both competitive, feeding off each other to improve their own skills. 

Starting off, Patryk was worried. After Tom's first rough night, he had stayed in his room for three days. He didn't touch his food and wouldn't speak to either soldier. There were a few times that Paul would outright yell at Tom and yet the man would not respond in the slightest. 

Thankfully, Tom seemed to adjust on his own. He started eating, his health slowly growing, and he began talking to Paul and Patryk, asking them questions about the army, wanting to know every detail. Once a week had past, Paul determined that Tom was ready for practice. He knew giving the man something to do would distract him from all the losses he had suffered. 

A competitive side kicked in with both of them almost immediately, any time they trained they would make a game out of it.   
At this rate, Patryk knew it wouldn't be long before they were able to join the Red Leader again. 

“What's that?” Tom spoke suddenly, grabbing the attention of both soldiers, there was a small pillar of smoke in the far distance, barely even noticeable but it caught the attention of the three men. 

“That's in the direction of the main base” Paul mumbled, suddenly seeming anxious “It's probably nothing” Patryk reassured, they were nearly twenty miles away, it would have to be a rather large fire for them to notice it at that distance. 

“You should get Tom back to his room, I'll go call and see what's going on” with that, Paul quickly left the two men. 

Tom and Patryk made it back to the room with no delay, however they were both visibly anxious. 

“Why is this base so close to the other one?” Tom asked, mostly in an attempt to distract himself and Patryk. 

“This base is meant to be a lookout” Patryk said with a sigh “We notice if there is any threat beforehand and report it. But no one has heard or seen anything. It's probably just a campfire that got out of control or something” 

Tom nodded although he could hear doubt in the man's voice. It wasn't long before their was a sharp knock at the door. Patryk opened it to see Paul, with a troubled expression “Are you okay? What happened?” Patryk asked worriedly. 

“The main base. They aren't answering any calls. We contacted other lookout bases and they can see the smoke too but they cannot get in contact with the main base just like us.” With a sigh Paul took Patryk’s hand and squeezed gently “I have to go, please stay here and keep an eye on things” Patryk shook his head in response “Let me go with you, we're a team” he begged in a soft voice. 

“I would like to go too” Tom said determinedly “You've trained me enough, I can help”

Tom's voice seemed to pull Patryk from his desperate worry over Paul, no matter what they still had a mission. 

“No Tom,” Patryk mumbled “Paul's right, we need to stay here, the lookout bases may be targeted next. I will need your help” Tom frowned angrily but didn't fight Patryk’s orders. 

Patryk then glared at Paul “You better come back soon” he said before his look softened “please come back safe…” 

Strong arms wrapped around Patryk’s body taking him by surprise “Don't worry,” Paul whispered “I don't die easily”

He smirked proudly at Patryk as he stepped back “You two be safe, I'll be back soon” and with that said, he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters this week! yay!  
> Honestly I was actually debating taking these chapters out, but I felt it kept the plot interesting while adding a bit of character development. I hope it doesn't feel like its dragging to you readers. I definitely plan for this to be a long fic, I know I haven't really talked about it much but this is still just barely the beginning. I've got so many ideas for this story and I hope that everyone who is following it enjoys it! As always, thanks so much for reading. I love all of my readers very much!!! <3


	17. Chapter 17

Getting Matt and Edd back to their rooms didn't take too long, before leaving Tord had a couple soldiers stand guard at their rooms. There was no way of knowing that his two friends would remain safe in the building, but Tord knew they wouldn't stand a chance fighting. 

Stepping back outside brought Tord into a world of chaos. Many of the fighter jets had been shot down by now which wasn't surprising. Most people who were foolish enough to attack any Red Army base were met with an extraordinary amount of firepower, most of which Tord had invented himself. 

Tord quickly met up with one of his senior soldiers, they pointed out that it was obvious that they were not being attacked by military forces. The group was simply too unorganized, it must have been another rebel force. Many had started to form after the Red Army taken control of Norway, trying to take advantage of the chaos. 

They were rather simple to take out, although a few slipped through the cracks remaining unnoticed, many later attempting foolish attacks such as this one. It was an annoyance to Tord. Nothing more.

“Try to keep one alive for me,” Tord told the man before leaving. The planes had silenced, all of them having been shot down or having retreated. 

Tord followed the sound of gunfire, finding his soldiers, he spotted a few rebels who had obviously crept past the defenses. However they didn't make it much farther as Tord shot each of them, taking of the men down with one hit. 

He felt slightly ashamed to say that he was actually enjoying this. Nothing had occurred on base in months, he honestly missed the violence. 

The sound of gunfire lead Tord to a spot where the wall surrounding the base had collapsed. He spotted a few rebels attempting to sneak in, however they were quickly shot down by his soldiers. 

With a sigh, Tord put away his gun, tucking it into the holster on his waist. He felt disappointed, the rebel group hardly put up any sort of a fight at all. It was pathetic really, he had hoped to have a little fun but it seemed his men had taken care of everything. 

“You really shouldn't underestimate your enemies” a harsh voice snapped from behind Tord, he then felt the cold metal of a pistol on the back of his head. 

A deafening shot then rang out, although it was the rebel who fell instead of Tord. In fact, other than the persistent ringing in his ears, Tord was fine. He turned to see who fired the shot and saw a familiar man standing behind him. 

“What are you doing here Paul?” he asked in a stern voice, although the smirk on his face proved that he was grateful. 

“Saving your ass apparently” Paul replied with obvious sarcasm, before walking towards his leader, he seemed to glance over the man briefly, checking for any injuries.

After feeling certain that Tord was uninjured Paul placed a hand on the man shoulder “Well it seems that you have everything under control here, other than that man who just tried to blow your head off. It's a good thing I'm here” there was a proud smirk on the soldier's face which caused Tord to scoff. 

“I would have been fine Paul” he replied “The situation was under control. Besides, you disobeyed previous orders coming here. Don't think I'm not angry about that. I hope you weren't foolish enough to bring Patryk and my friend?” Tord frowned, he was happy to see Paul but he worried that his plans would all shatter due to one man's mistakes. 

Paul seemed clearly offended by Tord's accusations and huffed in annoyance “No, I came because we could see the smoke. We were all worried about you, about the soldiers on this base. We couldn't get in contact with you so none of us knew if this was a full scale attack or not.” his sighed casting his eyes down “look I know I disobeyed a direct order, but if you need to punish me then keep in mind it was my decision alone,” 

Tord laughed softly under his breath “Well you did save me the trouble of killing that rebel so I suppose I will forgive you, this time. But Paul don't ever disobey my orders again” Tord's eyes narrowed at his soldier, his voice firm. 

Paul knew that if it has been anyone else Tord would have executed them on the spot and he worried that would be the case for him if he actually did decided to not follow orders again. 

“Of course sir” he replied firmly, he was reminded that even though Tord appeared small, he was still considered a vicious war criminal and for a good reason. 

“Well, I believe my soldiers have everything under control here. I need to plan what our next move will be. Would you like to assist me?” Tord relaxed as he smiled at Paul, he was happy to see his friend after all. 

Paul smiled back and nodded, he was glad that everything turned out this way. He could spend a few hours helping Tord and then go back to base. No one had been hurt, it seemed he worried over nothing. 

However, he also allowed his guard to drop, believing that the fight was over. “Grenade!” was all he could hear, shouted by panicked soldiers who fired their weapons at one of the rebels who had enough strength left to throw the destructive object. 

Paul couldn't see it, but he heard the metal clang as it landed just a few feet away. He only had a few seconds to react. He quickly pushed Tord down and threw his body over the man's. 

Then the everything faded to black for both men. 

 

Tord awoke with a start, a wave of dizziness hit him as he sat up. His mind felt clouded and disorientated. The last thing he could remember were his soldiers panicking, then Paul had practically tackled him.

He had hoped the man at least had a good reason for that action, although judging by how he felt it was easy to assume, Paul possibly saved his life.

Where the metal met skin on his right arm, ached with a dull pain, which was typical considering how it was jostled by the fall. For the most part it was just an annoyance for him. However, Tord’s head bore a pain which completely masked the pain in his arm.

Curious, he reached up and placed a hand on the back of his head. Underneath thick bandages he could feel a small lump, as well as slight dampness, which he could only assume was blood. The bandages wrapped around his face, and over his injured eye. 

From simply observing the injuries thus far, Tord assumed that he had a concussion, which would explain the dizziness and headache. That could have been caused by Paul throwing him down on some sort of debris. However, what troubled Tord were the injuries on his face, in fact his whole body ached from what felt like some sort of harsh impact to it. 

Tord pushed through his memories once more, trying to remember what the soldiers had shouted before he blacked out. It had to have been a bomb, probably a grenade, he determined with a deep frown on his face. Although if that were true, then Paul had thrown himself over Tord’s body to protect him. Which meant, Paul had been vulnerable to the majority of the blast.

Feeling an uncontrollable sense of worry, Tord moved to get out of the bed. He took a moment to take in the surroundings, noticing that he was in the hospital located on base. That was good news, considering this is where he stayed after his robot was shot out of the sky, he knew this place better than anyone.

What wasn’t good, was the fact that just as Tord got onto his feet, a doctor entered the room giving the man a stern look. “Red Leader, we went through this for a whole month while you were recovering, you should know by now that you need to stay in your bed until I say that you are ready to go.”

Tord flashed a glare at the man “I can still have you fired” He replied coldly, which didn’t seem to both the doctor at all “I thought during your time away, that you would come up with some better threats at least” he said, before placing a hand Tord’s shoulder “Lay back down, I’ve already sent someone to bring you your uniform. You really shouldn’t wonder around in a hospital gown anyways, it gives the soldiers a sense of weakness.”

This had been a speech Tord heard more than once, and he knew the doctor was right, in fact, Tord trusted this man nearly as much as Paul and Patryk. He had been a member of the Red Army since the beginning, and he was one of the only people brave enough to actually give Tord orders.

In a way Tord respected him, which was the only reason he did what the man requested. With a sigh he sat back down on the bed, allowing the doctor to examine his wounds. Soon he seemed content and began changing Tord’s bandages while they waited.

“Where’s Paul?” Tord finally asked, breaking the silence in the room, honestly he felt terrified as the words escaped his lips. He had never really thought much on it before, but the idea of losing Paul or Patryk actually frightened him. More so than the thought of losing his old friends. He could move on without them, but his new life was built around those two soldiers, he had been with them since practically the beginning, before people were even calling him Red Leader.

“He is… stable.” the doctor said, which only added to Tord’s feelings of uneasiness. This man typically joked and talked casually, he only used specific terms when he was trying cover up the fact that something was wrong. The memory of the words amputate and blind seemed to flood back into Tord’s mind.

“Tell me what happened?” Tord spoke, slow keeping his voice low and emotionless. 

With a sigh the doctor nodded “I will take you to see him soon, although you need to rest after you do see him. You have a concussion so really you shouldn’t be up at all, I just know that you won’t be able to rest until you have seen him with your own eyes, or well… eye.” he said, a sad but playful smile on his face as he finished wrapping the last of the bandages around Tord’s eye. “The nurse should be here soon with a change of cloths. Please try not to worry, I do believe he will live”

Although it was clear that the doctor was hoping for the opposite effect, those few words seemed to cause Tord to feel even more anxious as they waited. However, the nurse did show up rather quickly, and Tord changed while the doctor waited outside. 

Changing into the uniform was a torturous task. The dull pain in Tord’s arm became a sharp, violent one once he had actually begun moving around, putting on the sweater and jacket seemed nearly impossible.

However, after a few excruciating minutes, Tord exited the room. He seemed out of breath as the doctor smiled at him “That’s why you should be resting” he said in a matter of fact tone.

Tord’s eyes narrowed at him as he scoffed in annoyance “I’m fine, let’s go” he replied, already walking on ahead. The doctor rushed a bit to catch up to him before leading the way. 

Each step seemed to fill Tord with dread, he tried to focus on the pain in his right arm, anything that would distract him from what he would soon see. He knew that he shouldn’t worry so much, not over a soldier, and it had been nearly anyone else he wouldn’t have worried. In fact, he walked past many rooms in which men were crying out in pain, a few had the sheets pulled over their faces, an obvious sign that their cries would cease forever.

As troubling thoughts continued to flood Tord’s mind, the doctor stopped in front of him, causing Tord to bump into him slightly. A sense of dread overcame Tord immediately as he looked at the door the doctor was motioning to. “This is it. He may actually be awake, but don’t talk for long. You both need some rest.” with this said, the man sighed and placed a hand on Tord’s shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze before walking away.

The hallway then stood still, Tord stared at the door as if it were his worst enemy. His hand trembled slightly, as the skin pressed against the cold metal of the door knob, then with a deep breath, he pushed the door open.

“Took you long enough” a familiar voice said, followed by laughter “I thought you were going to wait out in that hallway forever, Red Leader”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, I had so much trouble writing like half of this chapter, then when I got towards the end I didn't really want to stop. Hate to leave you guys with that ending but at the same time I do love a cliffhanger. Oh and don't be afraid to ask questions, sometimes I have ideas sorted out in my head but I forget to write them down. Of course, I would like to state that this is definitely an AU. I'll try to stick as close to canon as possible, but here and there some things could change, which I will try to describe in as much detail as I can. Annnnyways, Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you again next Sunday!
> 
> P.S. - weird random fact but I really don't like the word grenade, like it just bothers me. So I spent like an hour trying to find a different word to use but obviously I stuck with grenade. 
> 
> Oh and also, I don't like the idea of having OCs in this fic, which is why the doctor dude remained unnamed, he shouldn't show up too often, although if you guys think that I should have him become like an actual character I am considering it, so just let me know what you think on that.


	18. Chapter 18

Relief washed over Tord as he caught Paul's smile in his sight. The typical bandage that Paul wore over his previously injured eye remained, although there were small spots of blood on the bandage, making clear that Paul possibly endured injuries to his face as well.

By just looking over Paul, the man seemed perfectly fine, a few cuts and burns were apparent, but obviously very minor. Although, Tord found himself troubled by the way Paul laid to his side, and by the bandage that seemed to wrap heavily around the soldier’s chest.

Paul chuckled following Tord’s eyes “A piece of shrapnel got me” he said, answering Tord’s unspoken question “I’ll admit, it was pretty bad. It hurt like hell… but that doc got it out, guess he isn’t as bad as you think” Paul sighed “He said I was lucky, it pierced through my back, but it didn’t hit anything really important, although he did say that it was a close call, whatever that means…”

There was an odd look on Tord's face, as if he were confused on how to react.

“Thank you for what you did,” he finally replied simply, keeping his emotions hidden. Although Tord tried to push his feelings aside, Paul had known him long enough, that even like this, he was able to read the stubborn man like a book, “You don’t have to do that with me” the soldier spoke in a smooth tone “You don’t need to cover up your emotions, you know that I’ll never judge you, just tell me what you really want to say.”

“I think that you are an idiot” Tord retorted venomously, giving Paul a stern stare “If you would have listened to my orders in the first place and stayed away, none of this would have happened.”

Paul laughed, shaking his head slightly in disbelief “Really? Well then I guess you would be dead now too, don’t forget I saved your ass twice”

“No” Tord spoke, his voice dangerously cold “I could have easily disarmed that idiotic rebel that tried to kill me, and I could have avoided danger from the bomb as well.” with a deep breath his anger slowly subsided “Look Paul, I am grateful that you were here, but I want you to know that I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone to protect me, I can do this all on my own.”

“You know you are very good at contradicting yourself” Paul smirked sarcastically at Tord “I know that you are angry because I got hurt, and that may be because you didn’t want to lose a valuable soldier, but I prefer to see it as you just didn’t want to lose me. You keep saying that you will be fine on your own. You’ve said that since the beginning but then you keep surrounding yourself by people you want to protect. Your old friends, Patryk, me, even your soldiers. I think the old you would have been find losing everyone, you would have just started over, but ever since the incident with the robot, you’ve changed. I don’t understand why you won’t just admit to yourself that you need people. You’re in denial, Red Leader. Why can’t you just accept the truth and stop torturing yourself?”

Tord's expression remained emotionless while Paul spoke, even after Paul had finished, an awkward silence filled the room. Finally after a soft sigh, Tord looked up at Paul “You couldn’t be more wrong. I don’t care if you die, I don’t care if my friends die. If I had lost everything today, I would have walked away without a second thought. Perhaps I have been too kind to you and now you see me as more than your leader, but I want to make it clear to you. Paul, that is all that I am. I am not your friend, you are my soldier. You will die for me and then I will find another soldier to do the same.”

Paul appeared hurt, although he found it hard to actually believe this was how Tord felt, like he had said, the man was clearly in denial. “I’m sorry sir, I will keep what you have said in mind and I hope I did not offend you in any way” he spoke in a direct tone, his eye never leaving Tord. 

With a frown, Trod avoided Paul’s glance “It’s fine, just focus on getting better and leave. You still have a job to do” with that said, he turned and walked towards the door. For a moment he paused, acting as if he wanted to say something more, but the words never came. With another frustrated sigh, he exited the room.

 

Paul didn't see Tord again during the rest of his stay, which seemed to drag on and on. The doctor didn't want to release Paul until he was certain that the man's wounds had healed. 

However, after a week had passed Paul found himself unable to wait any longer, so although it displeased the doctor greatly, he pulled his uniform on over the bandages and prepared to leave. 

As he made his way to the vehicle he would be traveling back to his camp in, Paul spotted a familiar man wearing a green hoodie. 

Edd seemed nervous as he walked towards Paul, holding out an envelope “Tor- I mean, the Red Leader wanted me to give this to you” the man stated, watching as Paul took the envelope from him and opened it. 

It was a rather formal letter, stating plans for the future and what Tord expected of Paul and Patryk, especially when it came to what would happen with Tom. It was clear that Tord felt Tom was nearly ready to join his friends once again. 

“Thanks” Paul sighed, partially out of annoyance as he pushed the letter into his pocket. Everything written on that paper could have been easily told to him by the Red Leader, but it seemed the man was too stubborn to give Paul a moment of his time. 

Perhaps what he said had actually hit a nerve with Tord, but Paul knew his leader needed to hear it. He needed to acknowledge how his emotions affected his work within the army. 

“Um… it's Paul right” a voice pulled Paul from his thoughts as he looked over at the man in the green hoodie. “Yeah? Is there something else?” Paul frowned seeming puzzled. 

“You know where Tom is, right? I just want to know if he's okay” Edd spoke softly, in a worried tone. 

Paul frowned at the troubled man “I don't think I'm allowed to tell you much, but your friend’s fine. I think that you will be able to see him real soon” Paul then gave Edd an encouraging smirk, which invited a hopeful smile in return. 

With that said, Paul then got behind the wheel of his car and traveled back to the smaller base, back to his mission, and most importantly back to Patryk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter a bit, I think the holidays have been a big distraction for me but I still will be uploading next Sunday. The plot will be picking up soon as well so I think I will be writing a bit more. Anyways, I do hope that you enjoy this chapter and thanks as always for reading.


	19. Chapter 19

To say that Patryk was upset by Paul's sudden disappearance, would be an enormous understatement. 

He was in a state of absolute panic the moment Paul left his side. Frantically, he ordered soldiers to stay on the phones and try the main base until they received new information. After a day had passed, he sent a soldier out to the base, hoping to hear some kind of news. 

Three days soon passed with no news whatsoever, leaving Patryk in a near unmanageable state. Tom stayed by the man's side, attempting to comfort the troubled soldier and finding himself hardly coming close to succeeding. conversation was short and to the point, ending almost as soon as it had begun. 

It wasn't until a call finally came through from the main base, that tensions started to relax slightly. Patryk spoke directly to the Red Leader, who informed him of Paul's wellbeing and the condition of the base. The  
Patryk looked as if he would faint as he reiterated part of the message back to Tom. Informing the equally as worried man, that Paul had been injured while trying to protect the Red Leader. 

After that, each day passed with a tense worry clouding the air. Patryk seemed to have regained his composure slightly, but Tom could tell that the man remained anxious. 

Just a few days after the call, a car was spotted traveling in the direction of the camp. Filled with tense anticipation, Patryk hurried out to the entrance of the camp, with Tom following close behind him. 

His heart skipped a beat, seeing Paul from the distance, behind the wheel. Paul hardly had a chance to put the vehicle in park before the door beside him had been pulled opened. 

The soldier smirked up at Patryk, “Told you I'd come back” he mumbled almost breathlessly. A grimace graced his face as he tried to step out of the car. 

“Are you okay?” Patryk asked in a worried tone as he offered a hand out to Paul for support. 

Paul gladly accepted the soldier’s hand, pulling himself to his feet. “Yeah, the drive was kind of rough, but I'm glad to be back” he smiled at Patryk, before glancing up at Tom and giving the man a brief smile as well. 

Tom bore his typical, uncaring expression as his dark eyes narrowing at Paul. However, for a short moment, his look softened slightly, showing that he was actually relieved to see the soldier safe and sound.

 

It wasn’t long before the three fell back to their normal routine, Patryk would have preferred if Paul had rested for a few days, but just a day after his return Patryk found the stubborn man dragging Tom off to train.

This was typical behavior, any time Paul had been injured before he had refused most care and went back to work as soon as he could stand. 

Of course, Patryk was worried for the injured soldier, however he knew that there was nothing he could really do to convince Paul to rest. So Patryk stayed close by his lover’s side, ensuring that the man at least seemed to be in decent health.

As a normalcy within the daily routine kicked in once again, the days seemed to pass by rather quickly. Tom’s training resumed, and within a week of Paul’s return it seemed that they were close to building Tom up to the point of becoming a decent soldier. He was strong, healthy, intelligent, and he had nearly flawless aim.

All of these talents would have been wonderful coming from any normal recruited soldier, but the two soldiers in charge of Tom still worried of what the man might do when he found out who the Red Leader actually was.

Tord’s goal was to have Tom rely entirely on the Red Leader, to become loyal to the army before revealing the truth, but both Paul and Patryk wondered if any of this would actually make a difference. Or would Tom kill Tord the first chance he got?

These thoughts troubled Paul as he stood outside with Tom, watching the newest recruit shoot at the glass bottles, which had been set out as targets. Patryk stood close by as well, possibly worrying about the same dilemma as he stared off into the distance.

A shot rang out, but the glass didn’t shatter, surprising Paul, his attention then focused on Tom. “You missed one, are we going to have to double our training sessions?” the soldier smirked at Tom but found that the man looked a little troubled. Tom’s eyes narrowed slightly and then widened, glancing down at his gun and then back up at the targets before taking aim and firing once more.

Silence. The glass didn’t shatter, Tom’s hands were shaking as he once again looked down at the gun, stumbling backwards slightly before dropping the weapon.

This was enough to grab both the soldier’s attention, however Patryk was at Tom’s side first. He placed his hand on the man’s shoulder, noticing that Tom seemed to be in a state of near panic. Paul stood close behind the two, close enough to hear Tom’s frantic whispers.

“Everything is dark, I can’t see… I can’t see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a crazy week for me, I almost decided to hold off writing this chapter but thankfully I was able to sit down and write it out tonight. I know that everyone else is probably busy as well but I do hope that you enjoy reading this update. Things will definitely be picking up soon~
> 
> I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. Thank you as always for reading.


	20. Chapter 20

Everything had been going so well. 

Finally, everything started to fell normal, or as normal as it could feel for a man who had absolutely nothing. 

Sure there was the incident with Paul getting injured, but Tom hardly even knew the guy. Besides, the soldier seemed fine when he had finally returned. 

They began training again, acting as if nothing had even happened. Typically, Tom would have complained, but the constant training and interaction kept his thoughts busy. It felt normal, and kept him distracted. 

He didn't have time to think about his friends who he believed were all dead. He didn't have time to think about the man he had killed with his own two hands. 

Really, everything was going so well, all the noise, all the activities, it kept him distracted. He strived for it. 

However, no matter how hard he tried, he never really could get what he wanted.

As his vision began to blur, he didn't worry immediately. Even as his world faded into complete darkness, he felt fear for what was happening to him, but his mind remained busy, troubling itself over his own well-being. 

He told himself to worry, to keep his mind focused on what was happening to him. Don't think about Edd or Matt. Don't think about the harpoon. The explosion. Blood. A broken body. 

But as he waited, alone in the one of the camp’s hospital rooms, the silenced overwhelmed him. No matter how much he tried to distract himself, his mind would drift to those thoughts. 

He shivered, sitting up on the cot he had been left on, told not to go anywhere, like he really could. 

With an annoyed huff, the man reached for his pocket but was disappointed when he found it completely empty. Typically, he had his flask with him, but he was sober now. He had thrown out that flask the day after he joined the army. 

Honestly, he had not wanted a drink since that moment as well, everything had been fine, as long as he stayed busy. Now the echoing silence seemed to scream at him. He wanted it to go away, just one drink and it would disappear. He wouldn't need to think about all of his failures. Just one drink and it would all disappear again. 

With a groan, he pressed his hands against his face, willing himself to see again. Pleading that whatever sick joke the universe was playing on him, would just end. 

Nothing happened 

Silence continued to fill within the room. 

Paul and Patryk did eventually return with some doctor. They told Tom not to worry, which he didn't, by now he had just given up. This was how he would live his life apparently, one tragedy after another, he could honestly say that he was becoming numb to it. 

Tom could hear the shuffling of paper and a pen tapping slightly against said paper, as someone, who Tom could only assume was the doctor, sat down next to the cot. Doctors typically made Tom slightly nervous, this one was no exception, he kept asking why Tom's eyes were completely black in color, if they had always been that way. He asked other questions as well, about Tom's life, his family and friends, what did he do differently in the past few weeks or months. 

It seemed redundant, it didn't matter what had happened to Tom in the past or what was happening now. He was still completely without sight. Unless this doctor could cure blindness, there was nothing else he could do. 

His thoughts of the future did trouble Tom quite a bit. He had nothing and now he couldn't even see. The army wouldn't keep someone like him. How could he support himself? What could he do? 

Tom's mind was racing while the doctor spoke to Paul and Patryk, he caught certain words through the harsh whispers such as “cancer” and “surgery” 

“We will contact Red Leader, see what he wants to do” Paul said, loud enough for Tom to catch as well. The soldier’s hand then rested on Tom's shoulder “Don't worry, I'm sure Red Leader will find a way to get your sight back” 

There was no real response from Tom other than a brief sigh, hoping, but seriously doubting that would be the case. Even if this Red Leader, happened to be a brilliant doctor, there was no way that Tom could actually regain his sight. That was impossible.

Soon the two soldiers left him alone again. Without much else to do, he attempted to sleep, although his thoughts continued to race, making it difficult for his mind to rest. When he did finally fall asleep, his dreams were filled with darkness. He did dream and he definitely remembered them, but he couldn’t see anything, he found that now he was without sight in his dreams as well. 

He could hear his friends, he could hear them scream and beg for help. He wanted to help them but he just couldn’t see them, if he tried to run towards the sound, he would find himself falling down or hear their cries fade as if he were going the wrong way. They tortured him, forcing him out of his sleep each time he shut his eyes. 

He soon gave up on sleeping, his tired eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. He allowed the remorse he had been pushing away for so long to wash over him like a flood. 

His cheeks grew wet as tears he had fought back for so long began to fall. 

“I'm sorry guys” he mumbled, “I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I couldn't avenge you. I'm sorry I'm so pathetic” his voice broke as he began to sob deeply. 

 

Meanwhile, Paul and Patryk had a few of their own issues to deal with. 

It had taken nearly an hour to contact their leader over the phone, which was most likely due to the stubborn man still attempting to dodge Paul. 

Once they finally got through to the Red Leader he answered with a clearly annoyed tone “What? This better be important” 

Paul cleared his throat, trying to hold back his own anger “Well, we wouldn't have called if it wasn't, sir” he found himself snapping back. Patryk eyed the man nervously, wondering if he should take the phone. 

However, Paul soon sighed, seeming to gain a bit of patience “There is something wrong with your ‘pet’.” he spoke simply, hearing silence on the other end “He's lost his sight. The doctor says it's cancer” 

The line remained silent for a while, making Paul wonder if the call had failed. He nearly hung up before hearing Tord's voice, coming through as almost a whisper “I'm coming. I'll be there by tomorrow.” he spoke briefly before the line went dead. 

So, they were then left to wait. Patryk went back to check on Tom, finding the man curled up on the cot, with a hopeless expression. 

It was easy to feel sorry for the man, he had lost all he loved, or at least he thought that he had. Now his sight was gone, and from what the doctor had told them there was a good chance he would not get it back.

They had watched him come back from such a dark place when he heard that his friends were dead, but there was a limit to every person. If they couldn’t get his sight back, he would probably just give up completely.

Patryk stayed with Tom for a few hours, an awkward silence always filling the room. He had tried to ask Tom, if he needed anything, food, water. Tom would either shake his head or just not answer altogether. Eventually the man mumbled something about not being able to sleep, so Patryk had the doctor give Tom some medicine that would help him sleep.

It wasn’t long before Tom was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update guys, with the holidays going on I've found myself crazy busy all the time. Honestly, I don't know if I will be uploading next Sunday, I would like to take a week to kind of catch up, and I'm traveling some right now so my time has been slightly tied up. If I don't post next Sunday it will probably the following Sunday that I will update. Thanks everyone for being so patient, and as always thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Oh and also, I do hope that everyone had a safe and fun holiday. Lets see what 2017 has in store for us~


	21. Chapter 21

Tord kept his word, arriving at the camp early the next morning, however he did not arrive alone. 

Edd stood at his side, seeming slightly tense in the stiff army uniform, his usual green hoodie pulled on haphazardly over the blue coat allowing him a small amount of comfort. 

Patryk met the two at the main gate, before quickly leading them to the camp’s small hospital area, he explained the situation briefly as they walked.

Tom had lost his sight, that much was clear. The camp’s doctor had examined Tom and had diagnosed the patient with a rare form of cancer, that affected the man’s retina, which explained his sudden blindness. According to the doctor, Tom would most definitely lose his sight, there was still an uncertainty they would be able to remove the infectious tumors, so the chance that Tom would lose his life was possible as well.

A small worried gasp escaped Edd, at the unfortunate news, catching both Tord’s and Patryk’s attention. “Tom” Edd spoke in a soft whimper, his voice breaking “H-He can’t die.”

“Don’t worry Edd” Tord’s voice was comforting as he placed a hand on the man’s shoulder “I won’t allow Tom to die, as long as you remain loyal to me, that is.” Edd shivered, clearly not comforted by Tord’s cold words. Of course he would use this against Edd, but as long as Tom was safe, Edd would do whatever the tyrant wanted. He still had hope that once he and his friends were reunited, they would all leave, everything would go back to normal.

Patryk soon stopped in front of a door leading into one of the hospital rooms, the one holding Tom, Edd realized with a deep longing. His friend was just on the other side of the door. He could finally see Tom again, Maybe they could leave together, Edd could find a doctor that could help Tom once they got far away from Tord.

“Edd, I want you to stay out here in the hall” Tord spoke in a firm tone, causing Edd to look at him with frustrated surprise “What? Tom’s my friend, why can’t I see him?” Tord’s eyes narrowed back at Edd, causing the man to take a nervous step back, he seemed disheartened as he nodded his head “Fine. I’ll wait here” he mumbled with a slightly annoyed tone.

“I’ll stay with him” Patryk offered “Paul should already be in the room” 

Tord nodded in reply, giving Edd a final glance, he took a huge risk bringing the man with him, but he didn’t want to leave both Edd and Matt at the base, practically unsupervised. Leaving Matt alone made him nervous as it is, however he didn’t think he could watch both men, so he settled with Edd, hoping that his ex-roommate would stay out of his way. 

Edd avoided Tord’s glance, causing him to frown slightly before entering the hospital room, closing the door behind him.

Paul glanced up as Tord entered the room, he seemed a bit surprised but still smiled faintly as he stood to greet Tord. "I'm glad you came" Paul spoke, taking a moment to glance over at Tom "If anyone can fix this, its you."

Tord didn't seem to really respond, his eyes focused on Tom before glancing back at Paul, giving the man a puzzled look.

“Oh, he's asleep. The doctor put him on some serious sleeping medicine,” Paul said, assuming that Tord didn't want Tom to hear his voice.

Tord nodded slightly before walking over to the sleeping patient. Even if Tom seemed asleep, he didn't necessarily want to take any extra risks by speaking and having Tom wake up, hearing him. 

After studying the sleeping man for a moment, Tord pulled out a rope like object from his pocket and used it to measure around Tom’s head. He wrote down his results on a piece of paper before placing both the paper and the ruler into his pocket.

Paul seemed puzzled, watching Tord until he was finished. Tord cleared his throat, grabbing the soldiers attention, before pointing to the door, signaling that he wanted Paul to follow him out.

As the two made their way to the door, Tom stirred in the bed. “Paul?” he mumbled in a sleepy tone. He had heard the footsteps of two separate people, which had been what woke him. “Is Patryk with you?” the man groaned tiredly, pushing himself up in bed so that he was sitting up. 

His eyes seemed to scan the room, stopping at Paul and Tord, this caused both them to tense up nervously, it would be rather disastrous if Tom were suddenly to regain his sight. He stared at the two before looking away briefly “Um, Paul? Are you in here?” confusion heavy in Tom’s voice, perhaps he had imagined the sound of footsteps.

“I’m here Tom” Paul answered, glancing at Tord who nodded as he spoke. “Oh,” Tom seemed to sigh in relief “Don’t scare me like that, I thought I was imagining things.” he chuckled briefly under his breath “I can’t believe Patryk would let you play a trick like that” he said, still believing Patryk was the other man in the room.

Paul gave Tord a puzzled, nervous stare, the man simply nodded at Paul, which only confused the soldier more. “Um… that isn’t Patryk” Paul said, still watching Tord, hoping he wouldn’t say too much. Tord smirked, once again nodding before waving his hand, signaling Paul to continue. 

The soldier cleared his throat, attempting to speak with confidence “That’s the Red Leader, Tom” he said, watching as Tom tensed up from where he lay “W-What?” his voice seemed to shake as he spoke. Paul frowned “He’s here to help you” he explained, still seeming nervous and watching Tord, who now looked towards Tom, studying the man with a strange smile on his face. 

It felt strange to Tom, why wasn’t the man speaking for himself? Although, Tom didn’t know much about this Red Leader, perhaps he couldn’t speak for some reason. However, there was something else about this stranger standing just a few feet away. Tom felt like he knew this man, even though he couldn’t see or hear the man, there was something familiar about him. Something familiar and dangerous. He had a sinking feeling kicking in, an instinct that told him to run. Run as fast and as far away as he could from this stranger.

“W-Well, it was nice meeting you, but I’m still feeling kind of tired so…” Tom spoke, his voice quavering ever so slightly. Tord had left the room before Tom could even finish his sentence. Paul frowned slightly at the soldier “That's okay, we have some work to do, besides you need to rest up for your surgery tomorrow.” Tom nodded, although he seemed relieved, the sinking feeling of fear washing away the moment the stranger left the room.

“I’ll send Patryk in soon, if you need anything be sure to let him know,” Paul said as he walked towards the door, Tom nodded in reply, he still appeared nervous. “Hey, and don’t worry. The Red Leader will figure out something. I know he'll find a way to get your sight back” Paul spoke in a reassuring tone, receiving a frown in return. An awkward silence then filled the room, which Paul took as an opportunity to escape.

The door clicked shut behind Paul as he stepped out into the hallway, which appeared empty other than Patryk, who smiled up at him.

“Where’d Red Leader go?” Paul asked curiously, returning the smile briefly. “He said that he needed to work. He didn’t want to be bothered” a soft frown adorned Patryk’s face “Do you really think he can fix this?” 

“Yeah” Paul replied simply, “Don’t worry, everything will be fine, we will back to our normal routine before you know it” giving a slight nod, which Patryk returned with a reassured smile “You’re right” 

With that said, Patryk stepped towards the door leading to Tom’s room “I’ll see you later.” he smiled briefly before entering the room.

Paul attempted to find Tord after leaving Patryk, but it appeared his leader had locked himself up somewhere, most likely to focus on whatever he had planned for Tom. The soldier decided to stay with Patryk, in hospital room until they took the man away for surgery.

The tense worry that had once filled the room, all but evaporated as the three spent the night talking. Different stories would come up, Patryk brought up how he and Paul had managed to crash a plane into a cloudberg. Tom couldn’t help but laugh at the story, which Paul didn’t appear to find as funny. Then, Tom told stories of the adventures he would have with Edd, Matt, and Tord. He told them when Edd dragged them into some ruin, he had found in his backyard, and about the numerous times they had fought zombies together.

Eventually, exhaustion took hold, Tom was the first to fall asleep, sleeping peacefully for the first time since he had lost his sight. Patryk followed soon after, his upper body draped over the hospital bed, as he snored lightly. Paul rolled his eyes at the two, standing up and finding a blanket to place over Patryk.

With a gentle smile, he watched them sleep although the moment didn’t seem to last. As dawn approached the doctor came in for Tom, both Patryk and Paul wished him luck, and assured that the man would be perfectly fine, which Tom replied with a light smile showing he believed their words. 

After Tom had been in surgery for a few hours, Paul and Patryk bumped into Tord and Edd, who had wandered over to the hospital to look for the two soldiers. Tord explained that he had created something that would help Tom to see, there was no saving the man’s eyes but he would still have his sight.

“I will need to see him after the surgery, by myself” Tord spoke, that last statement directed to Edd as he glanced over at the annoyed man, Edd had hoped to see Tom at least once, but Tord was desperate to keep the two separated. “We will stay with Edd” Patryk promised with a smile, he appeared unaware of the tension between their leader and the man. Still, Tord seemed grateful and nodded before entering the surgery wing of the hospital. 

The hours dragged on in awkward silence, the three men staying in the hospital’s small waiting room. Night had fallen before Tord finally joined the men, “Everything went fine, of course” he explained to the three men “Now, Edd and I will be leaving but if you have any other problems, contact me” Tord looked at the two soldiers but his eyes rested on Paul, he smiled briefly at the man as if to show Paul that he was no longer angry, which the soldier returned with a roll of his eyes and slight smirk back.

“Until next time" Tord said with a wave of his hand as he walked to door, waiting for Edd to follow. “Don’t worry Edd,” Tord spoke to the man, seeing how upset the man seemed as they left the camp “You will be able to see Tom again very soon, I’m sure of it.”

 

Once Tord had left Paul and Patryk both rushed to Tom’s room, and were relieved to find the man sleeping. “Do you think it will work?” Patryk asked Paul curiously, referring to what Tord had created, allowing Tom's new sight. “I suppose we will find out” Paul replied, examining the machinery with curious eyes “I have no doubts though, Red Leader has never been wrong” he smirked at Patryk “Come on, let’s let Tom rest, I think we deserve some sleep as well” he laughed as he took Patryk’s hand and lead him out of the room.

The sound of birds singing cheerfully outside, pulled Tom from the deep, medically induced sleep. With a groan, he blinked his eyes slowly and winced as the electrical light in the room as well small rays of sunlight, seemed to blind him. It took a moment for him to register past the inconvenience of the sudden bright light. He could see. 

An excited gasp escaped the man’s lips, as he sat up glancing down at his hands which he could see, just as clear, if not even clearer than before. He noticed a heavy feeling on his head as he sat up and briefly touched his face, feeling the chill of a mechanical object that had been fitted to his face, or more specifically, his eyes, secured by a cloth band that wrapped around the man’s head.

Curiosity sinking in, Tom climbed out of the hospital bed and walked to the other side of the room where a mirror hung from the wall. A feeling of nervousness over powered his curiosity though as he stood before the mirror but refused to look up into it.

He took deep breaths, an attempt to calm himself, while his eyes very slowly glanced up towards the reflective object. With a sigh of relief, Tom noticed that not much had changed, although he did examine the object that had been strapped to his face. The green pixelated eyes caught his attention first, he watched as they moved in reaction to where he directed his gaze. 

Luckily, the mechanical device, did not appear extremely bulky on his face, it wasn’t too terribly heavy as well. He could find himself becoming use to it rather easily, although he would have made a much larger sacrifice in order to see again, so he was definitely grateful. 

With a curious frown, Tom noticed that a small piece of paper had been taped to the side of his new eyes. He pulled the paper off cautious not to rip it and glanced down at the note clearly meant for him. As his eyes scanned over the four simple words, written in handwriting that seemed rather familiar, he felt chills shiver down his spine. 

The note simply read.

“Courtesy of Red Leader”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> I wanted to let everyone know that I will be changing my publishing schedule some. I will move it to every other Sunday now. If I am able to get a chapter or two written during the week, I will of course post it, but expect chapters on every other Sunday until further notice. 
> 
> I would like to think everyone for sticking with me. I know I went quiet for a while there and I didn't mean to leave for so long but home life got a bit chaotic. Thank you all for your comments and of course as always, thank you so much for reading. I will try to have the next chapter up by Feb. 5th at the latest. See you soon and thank you again for your patience!


	22. Chapter 22

Tord found it difficult deciding whether or not Tom was ready to learn the truth. 

Of course, the man would become upset when he finally discovers that he was lied to, time would not change that, but at least now there was a strong loyalty that Tom now held for the Red Leader. 

That had been Tord's goal, yes Tom would hate him, but Tord hoped he would at least feel as if he owed something to the Red Leader. Tom was stubborn, it would have been impossible to convince the man to join him before.

However it did seemed like Tom could possibly be ready to convince now, if his loyalty happened to be stronger than his hate. 

Then again, the man could also refuse and attempted murder Tord, that was a definite possibility. The fact of the matter was that Tom would learn the truth eventually. 

There was no way to know how the man would react.

Tord’s dilemma was that he could no longer afford to wait on his little experiment, at the moment, he was still staying at one of his bases located on the outskirts of England’s coastline, but he had not completely taken over the country yet, making it frustrating as small militia groups attempted feeble attacks on the base in an attempt to take their land back.

Meanwhile, it was difficult to tell what was happening in Norway, he left a trustworthy general in charge but at the time his forces were still spread thin.

Tom was becoming a liability. 

“Do you think Tom is ready?” Tord spoke suddenly, Edd had been watching the man who seemed lost in thought, rummaging through papers on his desk carelessly as the question floated out. 

“What do you mean?” Edd asked, completely baffled by Tord’s question, Edd was well aware that the man was stressed, there had apparently been attacks in Norway, many attempts to take back control from the Red Army. Of course, the army remained in control but Edd could tell that with each attack Tord would worry. 

“Do you think he will kill me when he finds out that I lied?” Tord asked simply, there was a soft chuckle, as if he meant the question as a joke, although anyone who knew the relationship between the two men would know that Tord was far from joking.

Edd had to ponder for a moment, he had a feeling Tord was ready to make a move, which meant that things were going to change for all of them. If Tom gave Tord any trouble in the matter, what would happen to him? Would Tord just consider the man a lost cause?

“I don’t know” Edd frowned “I think if you handle the situation better than, say what you did with Matt and me, it might be okay” typically Edd was neutral when it came to his friends, he cared about all of them, however, he couldn’t say the thought of killing Tord did not cross his mind after everything the man did to him and his friends.

“Ah, but Tom’s so… stupid” Tord mumbled, glancing down at a picture he kept on his desk, it was an old one of the four of them, back when life was simple. He would try to kill Tom, Tom would try to kill him. There was a certain harmony to the world.

For a moment a stiff stillness hung the room, Edd followed Tord’s eye to the picture and smiled a little “Classic stupid Tom right?” he said hoping to convince his old friend that Tom was worth the trouble, at one time they had some sort of a relationship, they might not have been friends, but they were close. Tord had to see that. 

With a laugh Tord seemed to relax at Edd’s word “Right… well then, I think it is time that I had a word with our old friend. I want you and Matt to stay out of the way until then.” 

Tord didn’t seemed relaxed for long as a stressful sigh escaped his lips “Whatever happens Edd, I do want you to know, I was only trying to protect you. All of you, even Tom. Everything is going to change soon. I didn’t want any of you caught the crossfires…” he paused for a moment “But I will have to do what is best for my army, and what I believe is best for the world. If someone has to die in order to make my dreams a reality then that is what will happen. Even if that person is an old friend.”

The room stood still when Tord finished speaking, Edd felt his fist clench unconsciously, Tord always started out saying things that made Edd feel hopeful before crushing those hopes completely. The casual way Tord spoke of killing his friend, even just the way he treated a life like it was something he could end once it became a hassle to him, made Edd want to storm across the room and punch the man square in the face.

But… That would only make matters worst, in fact, Edd felt that Tord wanted Edd to hit him, that way whatever Tord ended up doing to Tom would be justified in his mind. With a slow patient breath Edd shook his head and looked Tord in the eye “I hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it does and you decide to keep Matt and me around, then you should probably watch your back” Edd spoke in such fierceness that even Tord seemed slightly nervous by the man’s angered warning. 

There was hardly any time for Tord to reply, as a light knock broke shattered the rooms building tension. 

It was Matt at the door who poked his head in, with his ever cheerful smile, “Hey, I finished my training for the day, I wanted to see if there was anything you needed me to do before I go get something to eat” Matt spoke to Tord, completely oblivious to the tense mood hanging heavy over the room’s occupants. 

“No, that should be fine Matt” Tord replied with a smile, seeming to relax almost immediately, whereas Edd’s heart was still pounding, his hand tightening even moreso into a fist. 

“Take Edd with you” Tord spoke again catching the man’s attention “And I want you both to take the week off, no training, don’t come up to my office either. I’ll come by and see you. Go find some books to read or watch TV, just stay near your apartments.” 

Edd took a breath, feeling light headed, did he forget to breath for a moment there? His heart began to steady, but ached from the sudden adrenaline “I hope that you will think about what I said” Edd spoke, his voice shaking, where was that confidence from earlier? He cursed at himself silently walking towards the door.

Tord gave no reply, just a short wave to a confused looking Matt as the two friends left.

“I will do what I have to do” Tord muttered softly, his metal hand hovering over the picture of him and his friends before pushing it over laying it down on the desk, where he could no longer see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a little short, the next one will probably be a bit short too, but it will pick up soon after that. 
> 
> I am so sorry that this chapter was a little late, I thought I would have more time but I have been swamped. There are alot of birthdays in my family during the month of February, including my own, which happens to be today (Yay me!) but between work and traveling I have not had much time. I do think that once March hits I will be able to update more regularly, or I will at least try to.
> 
> So thank you for sticking with me, I know the last few chapters have been a little shaky, but the plot will pick up soon. 
> 
> Of course I always love to hear your thoughts, so if you would like just leave a comment for me. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Thanks again guys, and I will hopefully see you again next week!!


	23. Chapter 23

“This is a bad idea. He's not ready” Paul told Patryk, after they found a chance to sneak away from Tom. 

Just hours ago Tord had called to inform the soldiers that he grew tired of waiting. It was time to see if Tom could handle actually being a soldier of the Red Army and more importantly if he could handle having Tord as a leader. 

“Will he ever be?” Patryk asked, “This is the same guy who nearly killed Red Leader just a few months ago.” 

That was exactly what worried the two soldiers. No matter what they did or how long they waited, Tom would always hate Tord. 

“Who knows, maybe Red Leader was just playing a sick game. This could just be revenge, letting Tom think his friends are dead. Maybe he just wants to kill Tom and move on” Paul sighed, pulling a cigarette out from his pocket and lighting it. 

“You said you were going to quit” Patryk said with a saddened expression, although the soldier was not so much troubled by Paul's smoking as he was by the thought of Tom being killed. 

It had been nearly two months since Tom was put under the watchful eyes of Paul and Patryk and during that time Patryk found himself growing closer to the man. He would even go as far as to call Tom a friend. 

The thought of losing that bond hurt. Even if Tord let Tom lived, would he ever be able to forgive Paul and Patryk for lying to him?

Probably not, Patryk thought with a heavy heart.

An awkward silence hung heavy around the two as Paul finished his cigarette.

“Well,” the soldier cleared his throat catching Patryk’s attention “I guess we need to get Tom and go. Wouldn’t want to keep our leader waiting” he tossed the finished cigarette onto the ground and snuffed out the still burning tobacco.

Ever since Tom had been released from the hospital, he spent each waking moment growing accustom to his new eyes. Usually Paul and Patryk would find him out towards the edge of the camp, performing target practice.

He found his sight much sharper now, it was different, almost as if whatever his eyes focused on was being fed directly into his mind. His ability to focus on a target became much greater, causing his speed and accuracy to grow much greater than anyone else in the camp.

It was no surprise when the two previously mentioned soldiers found Tom in his usual spot diligently shooting at glass bottles, set up around the outskirts of the camp.

However, it was a surprise to Tom when Paul informed him that they would be leaving for the main base shortly, adding that the Red Leader requested an audience with the confused soldier.

Before Tom really had a chance to process that they would be leaving what had been his home for the past two months, he found that he and the few possessions he had left were packed into a small car with Paul and Patryk, all three of them traveling through the rough terrain towards the main red army base and the Red Leader.

Tom felt an anxious worry grow stronger with each mile the car came closer to the base. It was hard to anticipate what kind of person the Red Leader happened to be.

There was the obvious evidence that the army’s leader was a ruthless person, with how he had taken Norway and was working his way through England, completely obliterating their military forces.

From what Tom had seen on the news, the man was an absolute mystery, all that was known about him was that he clearly wanted to take over the world and didn’t seem opposed to using excessive force to get what he wanted.

Of course, that differed from what Tom had heard from the various soldiers at his camp. According to them, their leader was fearsome person, someone who would kill without remorse, but also someone who showed great loyalty and, at times, kindness to his soldiers. 

Even Paul and Patryk told Tom stories about how the Red Leader had helped them out of situations they would not have been able to survive otherwise.

Tom had his own experience, this leader had given him back his sight, he had given Tom somewhere to stay after he had lost everything.

Of course, Tom remained wary, he wouldn’t know what to expect until he actually met the man. Still, as the car slowly pulled into the base and came to a stop, he reminded himself to keep an open mind.

Surprisingly, Paul and Patryk seemed even more anxious than Tom. They remained silent as they lead the curious man towards a rather impressive looking building. 

The three traveled through the buildings long halls for what felt like an hour, their footsteps matching the unsteady beat of Tom's heart. 

It wasn’t too terribly long before the three had stopped in front of the iron door, covered in red paint, bearing a familiar symbol painted in white in the center of the door.

Anxiety plagued Tom as Paul and Patryk stepped back “He wants to see you alone” Patryk told Tom, his voice shaking slightly causing Tom to feel even more troubled. If Patryk was worried then maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but he had no other choice.

With a deep breath, Tom slowly twisted the door handle and pushed the heavy door open before stepping into the office.

His eyes fell to the floor, finding himself stumbling over a pile of papers “Sorry” he mumbled, hearing the door slam shut behind him before glancing up.

If there was a way to describe someone’s heart stopping, Tom could have done so perfectly at that moment. It felt like time stood completely still, as his eyes fell upon the last person on earth he ever thought he would see again.

Of course, the man did look different now, his right arm being completely made of metal, and the black cloth covering his eye, but Tom would always recognise that ridiculous hair style.

Tord, or rather the Red Leader, seemed to causally pour a liquid into two cups, Tom recognized the design of the Smirnoff bottle and frowned, realizing that the man was already trying to torment Tom with the tempting liquid.

The room stood still, the silence echoing madly before the sound of the bottle being set down on the mahogany desk seemed to invite conversation.

And with that, Tord glanced up at the man before him, chuckling lightly as he spoke.

“Hello, old friend”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This chapter was so much fun to write! Hopefully I will be able to keep posting on Sundays like this, if I miss one though just expect a chapter the next Sunday. Thank you everyone for being so patient with me again and of course thank you for reading! See you next Sunday!


	24. Chapter 24

Tord glanced up at Tom with a wide smirk, as he read the multiple expressions written over his old friend’s face. Shock, fear, anger, and maybe even a bit of relief. If anything, Tord found, that look to be the perfect revenge.

Although, it was definitely a deliciously, delightful moment for Tord, he reminded himself to proceed cautiously.

Tom glanced downward now, making his expression difficult to read. A tense silence filled the room.

It wasn’t long before Tord chuckled lightly to himself, stepping away from his desk and walking towards Tom.

Normally, Tord would have remained a safe distance away from the clearly distraught man, however, the tyrant felt certain that Paul and Patrick would have disarmed Tom.

There was nothing Tom could do.

Or so Tord thought, stepping towards Tom with his guard lowered.

Without warning, Tom’s fist met with Tord’s face, knocking the unsuspecting man onto the ground.

“I thought you were dead” Tom finally muttered angrily standing over Tord, watching as the man slowly pushed himself back up.

No reply came from Tord, as he rolled his eyes considering to comment on how Tom was clearly overreacting, however he kept what Edd had told him previously in mind and decided not to torment Tom too much, yet.

With a groan, Tord wiped the blood that began to seep from his nose, it didn’t feel broken at least, “Surprise” he finally chuckled before finally bringing himself back up onto his feet.

Tom didn’t seem to share his amusement, his pixelated eyes narrowing angrily at Tord “I thought I had killed you!” He snapped, his voice shaking as it grew louder. “You made me think that I was a murderer!”

“What’s wrong with that?” Tord asked, a light shrug to his shoulders as he smirked at Tom “During times of war, you have to kill anyone who would try to harm you.” his voice grew dangerously cold as if to warn his old friend.

“No” Tom muttered, not seeming to acknowledge Tord’s warning “I’m not a monster like you”

“You will be” Tord spoke casually, with that ever-present smirk as his eyes closely watched Tom “You and our friends Edd and Matt.”

A shocked expression overcame Tom at the thought of his friends actually being alive, this was replaced by rage as that thought traveled to what Tord may have done to brainwash the two.

Without thinking Tom threw another punch at Tord, which the man easily avoided before swiftly returning the blow, digging his metal fist into Tom’s stomach. 

“I probably deserved at least one punch, but I’m not going to let you beat me up old friend” Tord said casually before allowing Tom to drop to the ground, the man gasping breathlessly as he clutched at his stomach. 

“I brought you here to talk, and I would like you to listen, do you think you can do that?” Tord’s voice was condescending, resulting in a glare from Tom.

Accepting the hateful look as a reply Tord went on “I am not trying to hurt you or Edd or Matt. Although I know you find it hard to believe, I still consider you all my friends, even though you did try to kill me”

Tord slowly walked back to his desk, “I know that you are angry, you’ve always been a bit temperamental, but I am offering you a chance to live. If you remain with this army, I can promise that you and your friends will be safe”

Tom coughed out a bitter laugh, his glowing eyes glaring up at Tord “What makes you think that I would ever join you, communist?” 

“Because” there was a soft chuckle in Tord’s voice as he spoke, his hands moving to pick up an object from his desk. Tom found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol, and though he hated to admit it, he felt his blood run cold with fear.

“If you do not agree to become completely loyal to my army and myself, then I will kill you. After that, if Edd or Matt give me any trouble I will kill them” Tord smirked at Tom as if daring the man to test him.

Which for a moment Tom considered it, he wondered if he could get to the gun before Tord was able to react, maybe his old roommate would hesitate even. 

He definitely wanted to wipe that smug grin off of Tord’s face, but of course, he worried about his friends, what would happen to them? Knowing they were alive, gave Tom a reason to live again, he still wanted revenge though, on the one who decided to put them all through this terrible ordeal. If Tord thought he could keep the three held captive, then he clearly must have lost his mind during the crash, although Tom always assumed the man was insane.

“Fine” Tom finally muttered, his eyes casted in a downward glare, refusing to look at Tord as he spoke “I will be a soldier in your dumb army, but if anything happens to my friends-”

“You’ll kill me, right?” Tord finished Tom’s sentence with an exaggerated sigh “I’ve heard it all before, I guess we will see if you will keep your word, just keep in mind, if I think you are going to double-cross me, I won’t hesitate to kill you. I may even kill one of your friends first and make you watch. So I would be careful, if I were you”

Tom glared at Tord, his eyes filled with absolute distaste for the man, once again considering trying for the gun. 

It took an incredible amount of willpower for Tom to fight that urge, with a deep sigh he glanced at the door “Is that all?” he spoke sharply, unable and unwilling to hide his anger.

“Yes” Tord smiled, seeming unafraid, if not delighted by Tom’s hateful expression “Paul and Patryk will still keep an eye on you, but don’t get comfortable, we will be take a trip soon” with that ever present smirk Tord watched Tom sulk away, allowing the door to slam harshly on his way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually think Tord's a jerk all the time, but he is just so horrible in this chapter. It was a delight to write though! 
> 
> This is kind of my halfway point in this fic. I have alot more planned, I did want to warn my readers that I may try to write some other fics in different fandoms off and on while writing this one. I've had trouble with writers block and I've been wanting to try to jump into other genre to keep from getting bored. I still love this story, so I definitely will not be quitting it. If anything, I may post every other Sunday again but I will definitely keep you guys updated as always.
> 
> Thanks again for reading, and comments are greatly appreciated!


	25. Chapter 25

The awkward silence shared between Tom, Paul, and Patryk had eventually become the norm. 

During the three days that had passed since they had arrived at the base, the only communication between the three would be when Tom occasionally asked if he could see Edd or Matt, in which the reply was always denying his wishes. 

Of course, Paul and Patryk both didn't care one way or the other if Tom reunited with his friends, however they were given strict orders not to let Tom out of their sights and not to let his leave his apartment. 

If anything those few days were incredibly boring. 

There was a bass guitar and a few other trivial items scattered around the prison Tom was forced to call home. 

At first Tom absolutely refused to touch the guitar, and spent most of the first day finding various alcohol beverages that had been hidden within the apartment (an obvious cruel joke from Tord) and pouring it's content down the drain. 

The temptation to simply hole up somewhere in the apartment and drink until he passed out was overwhelming but what stopped Tom from doing just that was the thought that Tord would ‘win’ if he gave in. 

So instead he steadily poured out the liquid, grumbling angrily under his breath while doing so. 

By the second day, absolute boredom had kicked in and Tom reluctantly began to strum away on the guitar, his attention focusing entirely on the instrument. 

Every so often, Patryk would attempt to start a conversation, of course Tom being stubborn, would always ignore the soldier. Eventually Patryk gave up, and would either talk with Paul or simply sit silently, watching Tom strum away on the guitar. 

By noon on the third day, Tom had even grown bored with the instrument. He found himself staring exhausted at the ceiling wondering if this was a form of torture, the boredom definitely made waiting nearly unbearable. 

His eyes glanced casually over to a cabinet in the kitchen, during his purge, he had a moment of weakness, hiding a bottle of Smirnoff. 

Alcohol would chase away the boredom, he knew that but he worried that if he started up again then he would fall back into his old routine. Which would be great, if he wasn't under the control of some crazed tyrant. 

He typically didn't care what happened to or around him while he drank, everything was numb and of course that was fine. He didn't have to worry about anything before all this. 

But now, his thoughts focused on Edd and Matt, getting them out of this crazy mess, and all three of them going somewhere far away, somewhere safe. 

Would he still be able to focus on his goals if he began drinking again? Tom wondered this as his body moved almost subconsciously to the kitchen. 

It would just be one drink, something small to dull away the boredom and feeling of anxiety. Tom told himself this as he opened the cabinet and got the bottle of vodka down.   
He looked around a moment for a glass but after not finding one he decided to simply drink straight from the bottle. 

His hands trembled as he began to twist the lid off, he could feel the eyes of the two soldiers bore into him as he finally got the lid off. 

Of course, Patryk would be disappointed in his decision but clearly they knew better than to stop him. 

With a deep breath Tom found himself relaxed, as if meeting with an old friend he had not seen in a long time. 

He eagerly brought the bottle to his lips but before any of the burning liquid could touch his tongue there was a light knock at the door. 

This seemed to tear Tom away from the bottle, his eyes suddenly focusing on the door. 

The room stood still for a moment before Patryk walked over to the door, his eyes clearly avoiding Tom as he walked past. 

A feeling of shame sank in as Tom set the bottle down and watched Patryk open the door. 

Outside stood a nervous looking soldier he announced that the red leader desired their presence before scurrying off. 

It was a relief for the three men to finally leave the small apartment, although the walk to Tord's office was not very far. 

Once arriving to the office, the three found themselves confined in a much smaller room. The situation would have been rather frustrating had Tom not spotted both Edd and Matt standing close to Tord's desk. 

It was Matt who spoke first walking over to Tom as he greeted his old friend “Tom” he spoke happily, his arms wrapping around his surprised friend “I'm so glad you're okay! Tord told us you would come back soon!” 

Tom smiled at Matt, typically he would push the red-head away, or tell the man to calm down, but he was honestly excited to see his friends again. He even returned the hug “I'm glad you're okay Matt” he said with a look of relief, it wasn't long ago he believed his old friend to be dead. 

The warm moment between the two wore off quickly however as Matt began to ramble on, telling Tom about his time with Tord at the base, asking quite a few questions, including where Tom had been all the time, and what happened to his eyes. 

It was Edd that saved Tom, quickly noticing how overwhelmed his friend appeared while Matt continued to bombard the man with questions. “Matt give Tom some space” Edd said, laughing a little. 

Matt blushed slightly, realizing that he was being a bit overbearing “Sorry” he chuckled some “I'm just really glad to see you again” 

Edd stepped forward as well and smiled up at Tom, he appeared to be fighting back tears “I am too Tom. I'm glad you're okay” 

Tom felt an overwhelming sense of happiness as he smiled at his two friends. 

Of course, the heartfelt moment did not last long as Tord cleared his throat, interrupting the three friends. 

“Now that everyone's here, I would like to explain what will happen next” Tord spoke as he stood up, walking slowly around his desk, his eyes studying a map. 

The room remained silent, although everyone in the room obviously held their tongues for different reasons.

Paul and Patryk still had the utmost respect for their leader and listened diligently to his plan. 

Edd determined it would be best not to anger Tord, so he would remain careful, not speaking out of fear. 

Tom felt similar to Edd although his anger allowed him to hold his tongue. He had already decided that it didn't matter what Tord said. One day he would find a way out for himself as well as Edd and Matt. Then the three friends could go back to living a normal life. 

Where as, Matt didn't really care what Tord had to say. In fact, he practically ignored the man as he wondered silently if he had remembered to style his hair that morning. 

Tord continued, his eyes still focused on the map “We will all be returning to Norway” he spoke with a sigh “I'd like to leave as soon as possible so if you have anything you need to pack you should do so”

“Hold on” Tom spoke out, his eyes narrowing at Tord “You just expect us to go where ever you tell us?”

“I expect you to follow orders” Tord spoke softly his glance shifting from Tom to Edd and Matt as if to give the man incentive not to argue. 

A frustrated sigh of defeat escaped Tom's mouth as he stormed out of the room, a glance from Tord to Patryk, signaled for Patryk to follow the man, and he soon left out of the office as well. 

Tord then waved Paul on as the other soldier then proceeded to lead Matt and Edd back to their rooms to pack. 

“Don't leave anything that you may want later” Paul told the men once they had begun to pack “We probably aren't coming back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again, I am sorry for the long break. This will probably be a normal occurrence until I get certain issues in my life straightened out. I do still plan on writing this fic, it will just take a little while in between updates. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me for so long though, and I am very sorry about the wait. I hope that you enjoy the fic !


	26. Chapter 26

The trip to Norway happened to be uneventful, surprisingly enough. 

The six men piled into a plane, Paul and Patryk of course piloting the small craft. 

Tord’s soft comment towards the two soldiers requesting that they attempt not to crash this time, did cause concern as the three friends exchanged uneasy glances. Even Tord remained on edge as he handed out parachutes and advised the three to keep them close by.

There were a few shaky moments, as there was mention of a cloudberg, before the plane turned sharply and began to dive before finally gliding through the air once more as if nothing had happened. 

The landing was more of a crash, the plane jerking roughly onto the ground, until finally pulling into a rough stop onto an open field. 

So yes, the trip was uneventful, terrifying, but they did survive it at least.

The six men then piled out of the plane, a look of nausea heavy on the faces of Tom, Edd, and Matt. Tord seemed slightly less affected by the rough flight although he glanced over at Paul and Patryk who each gave him an innocent look. “I’m going to find new pilots” he mumbled to them in a jokingly annoyed manner. “Good luck with that” Paul replied with a chuckle as he pulled out a cigarette, “I can’t think of anyone else who would fly your stubborn ass around” Patryk joined in, laughing slightly as Tord playfully glared at them.

After giving Tom, Edd, and Matt a moment to collect themselves, hopefully allowing the nausea to pass, Tord made his way over to them. “We are about to leave, so if you are going to throw-up please do so now” he spoke, unable to hide a slight smirk on his face as he looked over to Tom who was doubled over, his hand clenched at his stomach in an attempt to push away any sense of quiesiness. 

“Shit, I was feeling better” Tom muttered, his eyes narrowing at Tord “Until I saw your face,” he faked a gagging noise, which he soon regretted as he stomach began to turn. 

The comment caused Tord to frown slightly, but in seeing Tom’s discomfort the man couldn’t help but chuckle “Just try to be ready to leave in five minutes” he said with a cocky smile before turning away.

Tord rejoined Paul and Patryk, by this point the men had retrieved a car that they had left nearby for when they did return to Norway. 

“It is nice to be back” Tord said, before leaning against the hood of the idling car. 

Paul, who had apparently began smoking another cigarette, nodded in agreement “Home sweet home” he said with a chuckle, it did feel better to be out of enemy territory. Tord had taken complete control over Norway, here they were either feared as dictators or considered heros, depending on who you asked. Still there was a sense of freedom at least, although Paul noticed how Tord frowned, lost in thought.

“We still have a lot of work to do, don’t we?” Paul asked although he already knew the answer. Tord remained silent, watching as the three men staggered over towards the car, feeling grateful that they had not decided to try to run, maybe they realized that there was no where to go.

Once the six piled into the car, feeling extremely cramped, as Tord sat in the back with Tom, Edd, and Matt, they began their trip to the Red Army’s headquarters. 

It was a long drive, traveling down long country roads and through city streets. The three foreigners noticed how much control their old roommate had gained over the people of Norway, seeing the red symbol of Tord’s army flying on flags throughout the city streets. 

In some cases, when civilians recognized that there were red army soldiers driving, they would even salute towards the vehicle. It seemed bizarre seeing Tord, an old friend who use to watch zombie movies with them, who use to joke and tease them, turned into someone who has gained such a great deal of respect and fear from such a large group of people.

What troubled Tom the most was that he had expected the people of Norway to be miserable, he expected them to attempt revolution towards Tord’s power, but for the most part, the people actually seemed happy. For a moment Tom wondered if what Tord was doing was actually “evil”. 

That was only for a moment however as Tom remembered how Tord had his soldiers lie to him. The extent that Tord would go to in order to gain complete control over someone was unbelievable. 

These people may seem happy, but their happiness was clearly just the cause and effect of another one of Tord’s many lies. Tom would not trust him. He would never let that man trick him again.

After a few hours of being trapped inside the small car, there was a sigh of relief from the four men in the back as the car pulled into what was assumed to be the Red Army’s base.

The atmosphere changed entirely once the car drove past the guarded walls of the base and down the long narrow roads, towards a large building at the center.

Soldiers in red army uniforms littered the streets, nearly all of them stopping and saluting as the car drove pass. Paul pulled the car into a park, just outside the large building, and the six men quickly exited the car.

Tom, Edd, and Matt stretched, each seeming stiff after the uncomfortable ride.

Tord rejoined Paul and Patryk seeming actually happy as he looked up at the building “It is definitely nice to be back” he said with a sigh before glancing back at the three men.

“I want you two to take Edd and Matt to the rooms I have set aside for them. I need to have a word with Tom, and then I will personally show him to his quarters.” Tord spoke the orders casually, not noticing, or maybe even ignoring the look of concern on the men’s face.

“Sir, I don’t like the idea of him being alone with you” Paul reminded Tord as he glared back at Tom, yes he did gain trust in the man during their time “training” Tom to become the perfect soldier, however Paul still acknowledged the fact that Tom did try to kill Tord. 

“I know, and I don’t need to remind you that I know how to handle myself” Tord glanced at Paul and Patryk “Don’t worry about me, just follow the orders I give you” 

After uneasy glances at each other the two soldiers nodded and walked over to the three men, Tord following.

“Edd, Matt, we will show you to your rooms” Patryk said, his tone gentle as he notice how nervous the three looked.

“Wait,” Tom spoke quickly, barely even giving Edd and Matt a chance to react “You are not separating us again” his pixelated eyes narrowed at Tord “I don’t know what game you are trying to play but I am not letting you toy around with us”

An angry huff escaped Tom’s mouth as he stood tall, an aggressive expression directed towards Tord.

With an exaggerated sigh Tord pulled out a gun and pointed it towards Tom, there was the sound of movement and clicks as the safety of many guns were turned off. It wasn’t hard to notice that every soldier nearby had their guns pointed in Tom’s direction.

“I think you forget who is in charge here. Tom, you will do as I say, when I say and you will not question it. Now, Edd and Matt are going to follow Paul and Patryk, and you Tom. You are coming with me.”

Tom gritted his teeth, wanting so much to punch the smug smile off of Tord’s face. Still, no matter how angry he was, Tom realized that if he so much as coughed in Tord’s direction he would be killed. So, with much reluctance Tom sighed in defeat “Fine” 

That was clearly enough to convince Tord, he holstered his pistol and watched as his soldiers began to relax, slowly returning to whatever they had been doing previously.

“Thank you” Tord sarcastic tone, only seemed to anger Tom more, but there was nothing else he could do. He watched as Paul and Patryk lead Edd and Matt away, both his friends glancing back worriedly at Tom.

“Now follow me” Tord didn’t wait to see if Tom would obey, he simply began to walk towards the large building, a smirk on his face as he heard rushed footsteps before they fell in line with his, keeping a steady pace behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will start to pick up from here, I felt like the last few chapters had a bit of exposition but I can focus on story development now. I will try to get chapters out at least every other week, Sundays will still be my upload days unless I start writing like crazy and have a few extra chapters to upload.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for sticking with this guys and anyone who is new to the fic thank you for showing interest.
> 
> I love all comments and they really do encourage me to write more. Personally, I have been struggling to keep interest in this fic and going back through the comments gives me motivation. I adore that people are enjoying this fic and again I do not plan on ever abandoning it, even though my chapters have been slow lately. 
> 
> Thanks for not abandoning me~ I love you guys and again thanks for reading!!!


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will probably be delayed at least a week, I have some college stuff to do this week so I know I'll be pretty busy getting everything sorted out.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!

Tom followed Tord, all the while, trying to bottle up his feelings of utter resentment for the man. 

There was an underlying sense of helplessness as well, something Tom hated, he despised knowing that Tord had full control of not only the situation but of his “friends” as well. 

It was clear that Tom was still fuming with anger, even as Tord stepped into his office and held the door open for Tom to follow.

“You are an idiot” Tord spoke casually, watching Tom’s clenched his fist, it took every ounce of strength in him not to connect his fist with Tord’s face. “And why is that” Tom asked through gritted teeth as the door of the office shut behind him.

Tord seemingly ignored Tom for a moment, looking through his dust covered desk for something of importance. Once clearly finding what he had been looking for Tord walked back over to Tom with some sort of tool in his hand, it looked like a screwdriver. 

“Because” Tord said, finally acknowledging Tom’s question as he leaned closer to the man. Tom took a few steps back finding himself pressed against the door. 

With a roll of Tord’s visible eye he stepped forward, grabbing Tom’s face “The only reason I wanted you to come with me was so I could make sure this was working correctly.” Tord tapped Tom’s makeshift “glasses” with the screwdriver, before tilting Tom’s head to the side to get a better look at the machinery. 

Tom frowned, standing in silence as Tord made adjustments to the device. “I still can’t believe you have the nerve to treat me so horribly, when I am the reason that you are able to see right now” Tord spoke, in almost a whisper, his voice sending chills down Tom’s spine.

“I never asked for your help” Tom replied venomously, in all honesty he had ignored the fact that Tord had created the glasses that allowed him sight. He didn’t want to admit that, in a way he had needed Tord and at the time he had respected the Red Leader’s kind gift, that was of course, before he knew who the Red Leader actually was.

“I don’t need your help” Tom added, a shudder to his voice betraying his emotions. Tord, of course, noticed this and in an attempt to prove Tom wrong, he smirked. 

“Oh really?” Tord asked before tapping the glasses, with the screwdriver. He must have hit a button that Tom had not known about, because soon after that deliberate tap, Tom’s world was once again flooded with darkness. 

Tom stumbled to the side, away from Tord, seemingly in a panicked state as Tord took a step back and chuckled. He watched as Tom stumbled and collapsed onto the floor. 

“If you don’t need me, then leave. That is if you can find your way out” Tord’s voice was cruel, as he laughed bitterly at Tom.

It was silent for a moment, Tord wondered if Tom had simply given up, but he soon noticed the man’s shoulders tremble, “Why?” Tom asked, his voice breaking, Tord wondered if he were crying, it was hard to tell. There was a soft pang of guilt as Tord realized, he had never seen Tom cry before. “Why are you doing this to me?” 

Tord frowned, seeing Tom so pathetic, should have given him a feeling of accomplishment but instead, the feeling of guilt grew stronger.

After a few moments of silence, Tord moved towards Tom and knelt down, pressing the button on the side of Tom’s glasses, which allowed the man to see again. Tom purposely avoided Tord’s gaze, feeling embarrassed and even more helpless than before.

With a sigh Tord stood and walked away from Tom “I think, I need to go about this in a different way” the man spoke calmly, although he avoided looking at Tom, giving him a chance to compose himself.

Tom fixed his hair and stood back up, pulling on his hoodie to smooth out the many creases that had formed. “What do you mean?” he finally asked in a cautious tone.

Tord glanced back up at Tom and smirked for a moment, “Look, I am going to be honest with you. I was, more than a little angry when you decided to fire that stupid harpoon into my robot and I will admit that I have not been very nice to you… ever… but if this is going to work, I need you to trust me and in return I will try to be a little kinder” 

There was a bitter look on Tom’s face as he glanced downward, listening to Tord speak, things would be easier if they were not constantly at each other's throats, but there was no way Tom could ever trust Tord.

“I’ve sort of been an ass too, not that you don’t deserve it” Tom replied finally, his eyes still casted downward “But, this constant fighting isn’t good for anyone… I guess I’ll try to do things your way,” he shrugged his shoulders and glanced back at Tord.

It wasn’t exactly what Tord had wanted but it was definitely a good start.

After the two took a few minutes to calm down, Tord began asking Tom about the glasses he had made. He seemed genuinely curious, asking if they had given Tom any trouble or if anything unusual had happened with them. 

Once Tord felt certain that there were no adverse side effects to the glasses, he walked Tom to his apartment. It was in a building across the street from the one they had just been in, Tord explained to Tom that he did separate the three friends, he still didn’t want to take a risk of them trying to revolt and run away.

Finally Tom found himself standing in a small apartment, alone. He couldn’t really remember the last time he actually had time to himself, of course the first thing he tried to do was leave the small living space. Which he could do, but he noticed that a soldier followed him wherever he went, so that narrowed his chance to escape.

The soldier following Tom also refused to allow the man entrance into any buildings other than the mess hall and the center building, where Tord usually resided. 

That did not mean that Tom never had the chance to interact with Edd or Matt, in fact the three typically saw each other everyday during their training.

A routine sank in and the days began to pass quickly, it had been late fall when the six men had made their trip to Norway. When the three did had a chance to talk alone, they would try to devise a plan to escape, however, the season had already drifted into midwinter and the three found that they were nowhere near finding a way out.

During the passing days, Tord made certain to keep his three old roommate close. He trained them on many of his battle techniques, showing them what he was planning and even asking for advice from time to time. 

Tom and Tord both remained on friendly terms although, they definitely didn’t hold back bitter comments towards one another.

Usually, during any free time the three friends had, they would either hang out with each other or keep themselves busy helping around the base.

Edd spent time assisting a doctor who had worked at the previous base, he was someone Edd knew and actually trusted a little.

Tom was typically working with either Paul and Patryk or surprisingly enough, with Tord. He would usually assist the men with paperwork, and various simple tasks.

By now, Tord felt that the three had progressed to a point that he was prepared to send them on small missions, he had been having Paul and Patryk fly back and forth from their bases scattered throughout the European continent, retrieving supplies and at times soldiers.

Tord decided to allow Matt to go with Patryk on the next flight, seeing as the redhead was the only person who actually seemed a little excited by the idea of going on a “top secret” mission.

Both Tom and Edd expressed their concern although this did nothing to change Tord’s decision.

This development put a stop to any plans the men had in escaping, Tom and Edd both decided that they would not leave their friend behind. However, not long after Matt had left, Edd cautiously mention that he had a plan. 

Later that evening, Tom wandered out into the streets of the base, looking for Edd so that they could discuss the “escape” that Edd had come up with.

He found his friend standing nervously near the large wall surrounding the base.

“So what’s the plan?” Tom asked casually, he didn’t usually take these talks too seriously, the three talked about escape often but typically their plans were grossly unrealistic and the conversation would end in jokes about who would take the fall if they did get caught.

This time was different, Tom could see that. The way Edd’s eyes darted around before he whispered frantically for the man to be quiet.

Edd’s feelings of nervousness passed on to Tom as he watched the man who was once again looking around to see if they were free of any prying ears.

They were both able to lose the soldiers that happened to be following them so when Edd saw that he was safe to talk he sighed and looked Tom in the eyes “Tom,” his words a harsh yet hopeful whisper “We are getting out of here tonight”


	28. Chapter 28

There was a certainty in Edd’s words, however Tom remained doubtful.

“What are you talking about, Edd?” He asked with a scoff “Even if we could escape, we can’t leave Matt” 

A guilty frown replaced Edd’s confident smile “We have to leave tonight. We’ll just need to come back for Matt” he definitely sounded absolutely sure of their chances to escape.

“You seem to have a lot of confidence in this plan, especially if you are willing to go without Matt” Tom frowned “but you haven't even told me what the plan is” 

Edd glanced around cautiously, once again ensuring that no one was listening. “Okay. So, someone I’ve been working with, is actually working with another rebel force against Tord’s arm He told me that sometime tonight there would be an attack, and that our best chance to get away would be during the chaos.” 

Tom looked stunned for a moment, “You’re serious?” he asked, thinking it was all a joke, maybe even hoping. The chance to leave and return back to his old life suddenly felt possible, but even as he thought about how things use to be he wondered if he could really leave this new life behind.

There was a look of determination on Edd’s face as he nodded his head “The guy just told me today, so I didn’t have any time really to tell you. I don’t know when this base will be attacked but I think it will be soon-”

Before Edd could finish his sentence, the sound of a plane roared heavily nearby, then in a moment, a bright flash of light brightened up the dim-lit streets, not far from where the two were standing. 

The harsh sound of explosion now filled the air, followed by screams as a building began to slowly crumble.

“Or right now... What kind of insane plan is this?” Tom snapped sarcastically, glancing back at Edd although he quickly regretted his harsh comments, he didn’t even know if Edd registered what he had said. His friend simply stood there stunned, his eyes wide with fear as another bomb exploded close by. 

If they didn’t move now, not only would they not escape but the debris from nearby buildings would most likely kill them. Tom felt his body trembling, hearing the terrible cries from the soldiers as they tried to snap into action, the sound of guns firing filled the damaged streets.

“W-We have to get out of here” Tom whispered, his focus turning back to Edd, who appeared to be in shock still.

“Edd, come on” with a frown, Tom desperately took Edd by the hand and began to pull him out into the streets, past the soldiers who fired their weapons diligently at any invading rebels as well as at the planes soaring close above the base.

Absolute chaos seemed to manifest within seconds. It was impossible to ignore, Tom pulled Edd along with him, feeling the man’s speed pick up some after they started moving. 

His eyes were able to focus on nearly everything around him, which in a way made maneuvering much more difficult. Tom could see the plane flying above them, his eyes could even focus on where the bomb would fall, this time it was close enough that he could feel the heat coming off of the weapon as it hit the ground.

They had to move faster, there was a small opening in the side of the wall surrounding the base, no one seemed aware of it yet. That would be perfect, if they could simply get away at least their current chances of survival would improve.

There escape was closer now, Tom felt Edd stumble some behind him. “We’re almost there” he called back, in a reassuring tone, his hand tightening around Edd’s. 

With great resolve Tom carried on, attempting to ignore the devastation around him, his eyes focused on the crumbling wall. However, there was one voice he could not ignore.

“Tom!” the voice called out, causing the man to stop abruptly, Edd nearly crashing into him. 

“Patryk?” Tom turned around, his eyes focusing on the soldier. Something was wrong, he noticed how Patryk lay on the ground, his body trembling, a look of intense pain clear across the man’s face. Tom then noticed, why Patryk had such an expression.

The man’s leg had been pinned down by debris from a nearby building, it wasn’t completely crushed but the pressure kept Patryk restricted, no matter how much he desperately tried to lift the destroyed building off of himself, it would not budge.

There was a slight tug on Tom’s hand, reminding him of Edd, and the current dilemma he was facing. His mind screamed at him to run, to take Edd somewhere safe. 

“I can’t leave Patryk” Tom whispered mostly to himself, before glancing up at Edd “You need to run” he told his friend, his eyes begged Edd to listen “Go, I will meet up with you… I have to do this”

Edd frowned, pulling on Tom’s hand once more “Tom…” he couldn’t say anything else, there would be no way to convince Tom as the man gently pulled his hand away from Edd’s.

“Go” he repeated, he didn’t turn to see if Edd had listened, the sound of footsteps departing quickly gave him assurance that his friend would survive. Even as Tom moved quickly towards Patryk, he noticed that the bombs had ceased.

Now the sky was filled with lights as the attacker’s planes were shot down one by one. 

None of that mattered now. Patryk’s voice pulled Tom back into focus “I thought you were going to leave me” he spoke breathlessly.

Tom gave the man a humorless smirk “Nah, Paul wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I did.”

Patryk chuckled weakly, as Tom studied the building. 

The piece that held Patryk’s leg in place was not terribly large, Tom felt sure that he could easily lift it. However, any part of the building that still stood looked as if it would crumble down if disturbed at all, of course that very piece of rubble was located just at the base of where the building stood.

“Okay” Tom took a breath, in an attempt to calm himself, he just had to figure out a way to get Patryk out without the building falling down and crushing both of them.

“Here” Patryk held out a small metal object, it appeared to be some sort of pipe “Try to support the building with that” he had obviously taken the time to find a solution, while trapped under the rubble.

Tom nodded although he still felt uncertain, he slowly began to lift the debris slightly, all he had to do was support it and then he could get Patryk out. However, the slightest movement caused more of the building to clatter down towards them, large bricks narrowly dodging the two men.

“Tom…” Patryk called out, he sounded weak, Tom began to worry that he may have suffered a more serious injury than what he could currently see “Y-you need to hurry…”

“I’m trying” Tom retorted back with a frustrated huff, it felt impossible, he didn’t want to abandon Patryk, but he also didn’t want to bring the building down on both of them. 

Tom’s focus returned to the damaged part of the building, holding Patryk in place, “Okay, when I get this lifted, you need to move away from the building.” Tom mumbled lightly, receiving no reply.

He glanced back to see that Patryk was unconscious, at least, he seemed to be. 

With a frustrated sigh, Tom decided that he would just need move quickly, lifting the debris before pulling Patryk away as quickly as he could. Simple.

His hands tremble nervously as he slowly began to lift the debris once more, straining while he tried to place the metal piece under the large rubble.

The building groaned slightly in response to the movement, pieces of it began to crumble down slightly, still Tom was able to successfully support the debris. 

Wasting no time, he quickly moved behind Patryk and began to drag the soldier away from the building, just as he pulled Patryk’s leg free, Tom noticed the crumbling building tremble. His eyes soon found the cause, as the small metal pipe that he had used to support the rubble began to give way under the weight.

“No” Tom whispered, stumbling to pull Patryk back farther away. He cursed out loud as the support finally gave way. 

For a moment the building just seemed to tremble, Tom didn’t wait around to see if it would collapse completely or not. He pulled frantically on Patryk’s shoulders, dragging the man desperately across the street.

The building soon followed, its structure swaying slightly before falling forward, towards the two men. 

As the building crumbled loudly around him, Tom closed his eyes, his hands wrapping around Patryk, as to at least shield the man. 

It felt certain to Tom that this would be the end of his story. 

However, soon the harsh sound of the building crashing onto the ground faded as Tom slowly opened his eyes. 

Just a few feet ahead of the two men, lay what was left of the structure. 

Tom couldn’t help but laugh as relief rushed over him “We made it” however, his excited whispers of victory distracted him from the true danger approaching, as rebel soldiers move silently behind him. 

There was no warning before a blunt object struck at his head violently, the sudden injury causing his eyesight to blur as he collapsed onto the ground next to Patryk.

His eyes tried to focus on his attackers, they were clearly not Red Army soldiers, Tom determined, watching as one of the men grabbed a brick off of the ground, they were most likely part of the forces that attacked the base. 

Which would mean that they would want any Red Army soldiers dead, and although Tom wore his hoodie over the uniform, these men did not seem easily fooled by it. This was certain as the man who picked up the brick brought the object down on Tom’s head, causing his world to flood into darkness as he followed Patryk into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the late update, life has been hectic.  
> I know I say this often but I do plan to get back on schedule with this fic. so my goal is to have the next chapter out next week.
> 
> Fun fact about this chapter though, it was actually the first main plot that I came up with before I started writing this. I am glad to finally make it to this chapter, and I am definitely excited to continue this story.
> 
> Anyways, as always thanks for reading and if you wanna leave a comment I would adore that! <3


	29. Chapter 29

There was always a strange sense of peace that Tord found after surviving disastrous events. 

He had automatically assumed that it was his way of coping. Even after Tom had shot his robot down, his emotions remained steady.

His thoughts would simply focus on what needed to be done next, this remained true as he walked throughout the practically destroyed base.

Calmly, he would set tasks for any remaining uninjured soldiers. The rational part of him knew that after such a drastic attack, the number of troops he had on hand were low.

Many were either injured or dead, so for the most part, he set his attention on finding and treating the injured soldiers. So, that was mainly what he would instruct the remaining of his forces to do.

Although, a thought nagged at him, even as he busied himself around the base, the soft whisper in his mind began to trouble him. 

Where was Patryk?

Tord had sent the soldier out during the attack, giving him the task of locating Tom and Edd and taking them somewhere safe, there was a possibly of Patryk doing just that with no diversion to the mission. However, that probability was low and it continued to decrease as the day drifted forward with no sign of the three men.

A sense of worry troubled Tord, of course he was still able to keep it at bay by remaining busy, however the man soon realized he would not be able to ignore the issue much longer as a familiar voice called out to him.

“Red Leader,” Paul’s deep voice was easily recognizable as Tord turned to see the soldier making his way down the ruined streets, Matt following nervously at the man’s heels. 

“Sir” there was a brief silence as Paul saluted Tord. 

“When did you get back?” Tord asked, before turning away from the soldier, he began walking down the street, keeping his pace slow for Paul and Matt to follow. 

Tord’s eyes seemed to scan each building as they continued their journey through the battered base. It was as if he were searching for something.

Paul noticed this, “We arrived late last night, during the attack.” he explained “We were able to shoot down a few of their planes even, well I should say Matt shot them down. I was actually kind of impressed” a nervousness seemed to grow in Paul’s voice as he turned the conversation over to Matt. There was one question that trouble the soldier, as he watched how Tord looked over the buildings desperately.

“Where’s Edd?” Matt seemed to rush to the point, “And Tom? Are they…” the redhead glanced around, worry overwhelming him.

“Don’t worry,” Paul reassured the younger soldier, as he put a hand on his shoulder, however the way his voice wavered gave away his own sense of distress “I’m sure they are with Patryk, right, Red Leader?” 

Tord paused for a moment, his head downcast as he breathed a sigh “No…” he spoke, his voice remaining calm, not betraying the sense of failure he truly felt. “I don’t… I don’t know where they are”

For a moment the world seemed to stand still, as Tord’s words echoed around the men. 

Matt was the first to speak, “W-what do you mean?” he asked, his voice shaking with worry. 

Tord simply shook his head in reply, he had no answer. There was a slim chance that the three men could still be found, he wanted to comfort both men with that fact, but he didn't even believe that was true.

A trembling sigh escaped Paul “They could still be out here somewhere” he mumbled lightly, hope intertwined in his words, to which Tord nodded in agreement, “If they are, we will find them” 

With that being said, Tord pulled Paul to the side for a moment and quickly briefed him on what he could recall happening the night before, including where he had last seen Patryk. 

Tord explained that he was fairly certain the attack had been too well organized to be a random hit, he felt like someone within his army had set them up. Although, he was nowhere near determining who had betrayed him. He didn’t even really know the exact group that had attacked the base, they wore a uniform that he didn’t recognize, plans to retaliate would be slow until he could learn more.

Retaliation was inevitable, though, after losing so much Tord was definitely looking for revenge. 

At the time, however, his focus would be set on rebuilding at least until he learned more behind what had actually happened that night. 

Paul nodded every so often to acknowledge that he was listening, although it was obvious that his mind remained focused elsewhere. He was clearly worried over Patryk, which was understandable, but he had a job to do. Tord needed him, especially now. That fact alone seemed to be the only thing that kept him from slipping into an emotional wreck. With each nod, he would remind himself that Patryk was resilient, he was alive, Paul just had to find him.

By the time Tord had finished relaying his plans to Paul, the sun had begun to set making it difficult to continue any tasks outside. “Try to get some sleep, we will start early and look for Tom, Edd, and Patryk” Tord told both Paul and Matt, showing them over to the variety of tents that had been set up outside to house the many soldiers, while the apartments were repaired.

Just as they were going to disperse, a soldier called out to Tord, catching the attention of all three men. 

There were two soldiers quickly making their way towards Tord, behind them another familiar figure in a green hoodie followed.

They each felt a sense of relief briefly although that emotion was soon replaced with dread when they realized that Edd was the only familiar face.

“Edd!” Matt cried out excitedly, rushing over to his friend, however the soldiers motioned for him to stay back. With a huff Matt obeyed while giving Edd a desperate look, “Where’s Tom?” 

A look of guilt weighed heavily upon Edd’s face, he shook his head slowly finding it hard to speak “The men… the ones who attacked, they took them” he words trembled as he spoke.

“And where were you?” Tord’s voice rang out as he stepped towards Edd, his expression fierce, he watched Edd’s every move, similar to how a predator would watch its prey. 

“I-I… Tom told me to go, Patryk was hurt. I honestly thought he would follow me, but when I made it over the wall, I turned back in time to see those men drag him and Patryk off… I’m sorry” Edd’s eyes looked to Matt and then to Paul, shame and remorse heavy in them.

Tord’s frowned “So… you were trying to escape?” 

“It was our only chance…” Edd looked back to Tord, seeing a flash of anger over the man’s face.

“You knew.” this was said as more of a statement rather than a question, as Tord stepped closer, he was just inches away now “Who told you, Edd?”

“I-I can’t… I-If I tell you, you’ll kill him.” Edd spoke in a soft whimper, attempting to take a step back away from Tord, but the soldiers stood strong behind him making it impossible for him to avoid his old friend’s furious glare.

Something inside Tord snapped, he had never been overly emotional, this sort of thing simply didn’t bother him, however with a sudden rush of emotions, he found his left fist connecting with the side of Edd’s face, knocking the man onto the ground “Tom could be dead now because of you!”

It wasn’t until Paul stepped forward, placing a hand on Tord’s shoulder, that he had realized how upset he had become, his breathing still unsteady as he stood over Edd who looked back up at him with a shocked expression. 

Matt ignored the angry looks from the soldiers now as he rushed over to Edd, helping his friend up while glancing up at Tord in disbelief. He had been the subject to Tord’s sudden angry outburst before, but he never thought that he would actually see it again or that his friend would be victim of it. 

There was a brief look of guilt on Tord’s face before he huffed angrily and turned away completely, although he was greeted by a look of concern from Paul.

“I’m fine,” he muttered to the man’s unspoken question, before starting to walk away, it was Edd’s voice that stopped him.

“The doctor” Edd spoke in an almost whisper, his eyes remaining downcast as his hand rested on his swelling cheek “It was the doctor I’ve been working with, he told me about the attack” 

Tord’s expression darkened, he glanced back at the soldier that had escorted Edd to him, “Find Doctor Names, and bring him to me.” to which they acknowledged, quickly retreating to the given task.

For a moment, Tord stood in silence, seemingly debating internally. Finally he turned to Edd and Matt “I don’t care what you two do anymore. I am going to find Tom and Patryk and I will bring them back. You can help me or you can leave” he spoke firmly before motioning for Paul to follow him. 

The two friends watched as Tord entered a nearby tent, Paul close behind him.

Just like that, they were technically free, but as the two glanced over at one another they both knew that they couldn’t leave. Edd had already made the mistake of trying to leave without Matt and Matt clearly didn’t want to leave his friend behind either. 

“We’ll find him” Matt said reassuringly to Edd, to which Edd smiled back and nodded, but a deep sense of worry remained, as Tord’s angry words echoed in his mind, he hoped silently that there was still someone left to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading !


	30. Chapter 30

A light groan echoed throughout the dense, dark room. Tom found himself regaining consciousness, a sharp pain quickly greeting him as he lifted his head, informing him that he was still alive at least.

Confusion fogged his mind, he glanced around finding himself unable to see much of anything. He began to panic, worrying that the men who attacked him had damaged his sight somehow. 

His hand traced over the back of his head lightly, he winced when his fingers fell upon a damp patch of hair, fear struck him as he realized that it was close enough to the glasses to have possibly disabled them. 

However, soon a low humming noise began to emit close to Tom, he regained his sight, as objects scattered across the room slowly came into focus, coated in a noticeable green glow. 

Tord must have installed some sort of night vision, Tom realized. 

Although, Tom was grateful to be able to see, he soon noticed that it was difficult to make out what objects were in the dark room, he could only see their basic shape.

He found himself wandering the room slowly, his hands balancing himself on what looked like a stack of boxes as he pulled himself to his feet. 

After having explored most of the room, Tom moved on to opening a few of the boxes to see if there were anything in them to aid him, however they were all empty. 

With a sigh, he slid down next to what appeared to be a small bundle of fabric. Tom reached out, in hopes to at least feel more comfortable wrapped up in warm cloth, however the assumed bundle of cloths began to stir at his touch. 

“P-Paul?” the voice was soft, Tom almost couldn’t make out what was said. 

“Patryk?” Tom asked, his hands shifting over to the man’s shoulder “Is that you? Its me… Tom” he eyes glanced over Patryk, seeing that the fabric on his leg was coated in a dense liquid, presumably blood. 

“Are you okay?” Tom frowned, although he had the opportunity to slightly examine Patryk’s wounds in the dark room, there was no way he could actually help the injured man. His sight was minimum at best and he didn’t know very much on first aid.

Patryk remained silent, other than soft, weak breaths that he would gasp in every so often. This definitely trouble Tom as he lightly shook the soldier “Hey, come on, wake up” he frowned, watching as Patryk slowly opened his eyes.

“W-Where am I?” the soldier spoke in a weak voice, seemingly still half-asleep. 

“I don’t know” Tom answered with a sigh, he had found a door while he was exploring the room but it was locked, and he couldn’t find any windows or vents. They were clearly sealed in.

“Tom?” Patryk spoke in a pained whisper, “What’s going on? I remember we were being attacked. Tord sent me to find you and Edd but then the building fell” he frowned a little “I must have blacked out, but you… You saved me, didn’t you?”

Tom sighed lightly “I saved you, but those people that were trying to destroy the base attacked me. They must have captured us…”

Patryk’s expression darkened slightly as Tom spoke “I hope you’re wrong” he mumbled, however it was clear, if anything, that their current situation was dire.

The two were left alone in the dark room for what seemed like hours, since they had time to spare, Tom attempted to help Patryk by tearing the fabric of his hoodie in order to wrap it around the injured soldier’s leg. He was able to tie the cloth around a large gash on the man’s leg, which seemed to at least slow the bleeding.

It was obvious to Tom that Patryk’s condition was severe, the man clearly needed actual medical treatment. However, as the seconds drifted by in the dark empty room, Tom couldn’t help but wonder with dread if either of them would make it out of this alive.

Just as Tom found himself drifting back to sleep, he heard a light clicking noise before light flooded the room. It took a moment for his eyes to process the sudden change, all he could see for a moment was a green glow before his vision slowly returned to normal. 

While Tom’s sight returned, he could make out the shapes of men walking towards Patryk and himself. He glared up at the men, recognizing their uniforms, they had definitely been the ones who had attacked the base.

Patryk was oblivious to their sudden guests, his head lolled slightly to the side as he slept.

Without warning, the men grabbed Tom yanking him forward, however the rushed movement seemed to stir Patryk.

“Where are you taking him?” Patryk snapped, glaring up at the men.

“Our boss just wants to ‘chat’. We’ll try to bring him back in one piece” one of the rebels answered with a chuckle, “Don’t worry, You’ll get your chance to talk, soon enough” the other added in.

A look of panic flashed across Tom’s face as the men tightened their grip on his shoulder, he hardly put up any fight, walking towards the now open door.

“Wait” Patryk called out, causing one of the rebel to huff angrily, turning to face Patryk “What?”

“You’re wasting your time with that one, he doesn’t know anything. He’s more or less just a prisoner” Patryk’s eyes hovered over Tom for a moment before returning to the rebel “I am the Red Leader’s personal pilot, his right hand man. I’m sure whoever's in charge would not be to happy to know that you wasted their time… right?”

With a roll of his eyes, the rebel shoved Tom back towards the wall before reaching for Patryk and pulling the injured man onto his feet. “If you want to be the first, be my guest.” he muttered before practically dragging Patryk towards the doorway.

Shock overwhelmed Tom for a moment, he watched stunned while Patryk was being pulled away. A sense of guilt sank in as the door was slammed shut, the lights soon clicking off and returning him to darkness. 

Time moved at an even slower pace now that Tom was alone. The only comfort he could find was in the soft hum of his glasses when the nocturnal vision turned itself back on.

Once his adrenaline had worn off, a sense of exhaustion and boredom kicked him. Tom found himself falling asleep, however his sleep was restless as he woke to every sound. He could hear soft footsteps echoing outside the room, as well as what sounded like screams. His heart sank, as his thoughts drifted to Patryk. There was always the chance that Patryk could find a way out, Tom attempted to encourage himself with that thought, although he realized that those chances were slim.

Hunger tormented him next, it was a clear indicator that a great deal of time had certainly passed. Tom lay on the ground, his stomach growling viciously enough to echo throughout the empty room. 

He tried to distract himself, contemplating on how long it had been since the attack, since he had last seen Edd. He hoped that Edd was able to make it out at least.

His thoughts dwelled on how he hesitated when Edd told him of his plans to escape. Even Tom didn’t know why he had felt so uncertain. Perhaps fear had stopped him, working around Tord, Tom began to notice how much control the government in many countries seemed to have over its people. He had even seen that a few countries began to ban Cola, simply because they could. There were many small, subtle ways in which people were being controlled and Tom even began to wonder if what Tord was planning would be for the greater good of everyone.

There had been times when Tom was able to overhear Tord talking to Paul and Patryk about all that he had planned. Tom began to see Tord as someone who perhaps didn’t want to take over the whole world, but simply wanted to fix what was wrong. 

However, that didn’t mean that Tom trusted the man, he had to remind himself that Tord kidnapped him and his friends. He wouldn’t even be in this situation if it weren’t for Tord.

Keeping these facts in mind, Tom still found himself struggling to decide that if he actually had the opportunity, would he leave or stay.

Tom’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the lights once again flashed on. Like before, it took a moment for his vision to adjust, he could hear the sound of footsteps as a figure slowly came into focus before him.

A young man stood over Tom, smiling mockingly down at him, behind him stood two other rebel soldiers.

This person looked to be close to Tom’s age, but it was apparent by the small medals hanging from his vest that this man was not just a basic rebel soldier. 

“Hi there” the man spoke with a light accent to his words, it sounded similar to Tord’s “You are Tom, correct?”

Chills shivered down Tom’s spine as he frowned up at the man giving him no reply.

“Oh, forgive me. You’re friend told me who you were. That was… really the only thing he told me tragically for him. I am Nathaniel, by the way” the man chuckled lightly. 

“What did you do to Patryk?” Tom snapped angrily, taking a defensive stance, he quickly pushed himself up off the ground so that he was eyelevel with the rebel. The two soldiers seemed to become defensive at Tom’s sudden movements, Tom had seen similar reactions many times from Paul and Patryk. This man was clearly important, if not their leader, Tom concluded.

Nathaniel simply laughed in response, waving back at the rebels to signal that they could stand down “So gullible, don’t worry he’s fine… well perhaps not fine exactly but he’s alive and that’s what really matters” as he spoke he leaned forward, before taking a hand and gently ruffling Tom’s hair.

“You want your friend to stay alive, correct?” Tom felt the urge to push the man way, punch him, something. However, he didn’t think these rebels would be as forgiving as Tord, so he responded with a defiant glare casted downward “Yes, of course…”

The hand on Tom’s hair tightened roughly tugging at it so that Tom was forced to look up at Nathaniel “Then you will tell me everything you know about Tord, that shouldn't be terribly difficult. After all, you are one of his dear old friends, correct?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to note, just in case there is any confusion, the doctor character and Nathaniel are both OCS, they will be given brief backstories later on in the fic, but if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. 
> 
> Also, the next chapter may be a little late, next week is kind of a crazy one for me. Anyways, thanks for reading!


	31. Chapter 31

Contrary to popular belief, Tord did not enjoy interrogating people. It was a job he typically left to Paul and Patryk.

It wasn’t that he disliked the aggressive process, he didn’t necessarily feel guilty, he simply found it a waste of time. 

This couldn’t be more true as Tord stood before a man he had once considered a close colleague, maybe even a friend.

His thoughts pondered for a moment over the fact that those closest to him always seemed to be the ones to betray him. 

The harsh sound of sharp blows to the man’s chest, pulled Tord from his thoughts. His self pity could wait, there were certainly more important matters to deal with at the moment.

“Where did they go?” Paul’s words echoed throughout the room, his tone was unsteady, they had been at this for hours and all three men were aware of the risks Patryk and Tom were in the longer they were with the enemy. 

Silence followed, allowing Paul to lose his patience once more as he struck the doctor across his face, causing the man to collapse.

“Paul” Tord spoke softly, watching as the soldier looked up at him, he seemed more broken than the prisoner. “I want you to go check on the other soldiers, and make sure repairs are still going smoothly.”

An annoyed look graced Paul’s face, he started to oppose, however Tord quickly interrupted him before he could speak. “We need to be prepared for any further attacks, right now we are vulnerable, so repairs are crucial.” his look softened “You and I both know that the soldiers will be more motivated if one of us is out there. Don’t worry, I can continue this on my own.”

There was a look of uncertainty from Paul. He wouldn’t disobey orders, but it was clear that he disagreed with Tord, an annoyed huff escaped his lips as he walked out of the room, letting the door slam shut after he left.

“Alone at last” the doctor chuckled lightly before slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, his hands were handcuffed behind his back, but he still glared fiercely at Tord. “I guess you can kill me now, that is how your interrogations usually turn out, isn’t it? That’s why you had Paul and Patryk take over, they would actually get information before murdering someone.”

“Is that why you are doing this, Dr. Names, or since it is just us should I just skip the formalities and call you Timothy? We are old friends after all” Tord spoke in a casual tone as he walked closer to the doctor, before sitting down in front of him. The man frowned at Tord, seeming confused “Do you see yourself as a martyr, willing to die and to let others die just to see me fail? I thought Patryk was your friend, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

Timothy scoffed softly “Your little mind games are not going to work and you and I were never friends. I did however, consider Patryk a friend, really he wasn’t even suppose to be here during the attack, he was suppose to go with Paul to get the supplies I had requested. I didn’t take into consideration that you would actually send an untrained, inexperienced fool to take his place. His blood is on your hands, along with the other innocent lives you ended”

“I’m not trying to play mind games with you” Tord sighed lightly “We are just talking.” he spoke in a matter of fact way before continuing “It surprises me actually, that you talk about the innocent lives I’ve taken. Did you ever find out how many people we lost during the attack you planed with these rebels?”

“56” the man spoke softly, his eyes full of guilt, glancing downward “That’s how many bodies were found before you brought me here, another 14 were still missing…”

A light smirk graced Tord’s face as he nodded, “So you did take into account the people you put in harm's way,”

The doctor glared up at him “It wasn’t suppose to happen like this!” his bottled up emotions began to overwhelm him “It was meant to be a small attack, a distraction…” 

“Yes, well it did cause a distraction, I’m assuming that was meant to allow an opening for someone to assassinate me. That someone was you… wasn’t it?” 

As Tord spoke the man frowned at him, before slowly glancing away and nodding his head lightly.

“I wouldn’t have expected it. You probably would have succeeded. So… why didn’t you?” 

A soft sigh escaped Timothy’s lips as he shook his head lightly “I nearly did. I suppose I realized a little too late that this would solve nothing, he’s no better than you.”

“He?” Tord asked, tilting his head to the side “Why do I get the feeling that I know the person you planned all this with?”

“Because you do” the doctor spoke, seeming slightly ashamed “We all met before you became what you are now. Back when we were all just soldiers following orders”

“Stop avoiding the question. Who helped you plan this?” a hint annoyance grew in Tord’s voice.

“Nathaniel” Timothy finally answered with a sigh, receiving a look of disbelief from Tord “You’re joking. You have to be. You seriously trusted that idiot?”

A huff of frustration escaped Tord’s lips as he pushed himself back up onto his feet and began to pace “Did you ever wonder why I never recruited him? He’s an arrogant, hot headed, moron. Honestly, Patryk and Tom are both probably dead by now… You know, you were right, I should just kill you. That is, after all, what I do best” Tord’s hand drifted to his gun as he glared down at the man.

“I’m not going to beg for my life” Timothy spoke softly “But if you wait, I will tell you where Nathaniel's hiding. Of course, he could have switched locations by now but…”

Tord huffed impatiently “Just tell me” he snapped.

“No, not yet. You’ve always been the type to honor any deals you have made, so I want to make a deal with you, for the information.” 

“What kind of deal?” Tord’s glance narrowed down suspiciously at the man.

“If you promise never to kill anyone ever again, then I will tell you.” Timothy spoke with a light smile on his face.

There was a slight pause, before a soft chuckle echoed throughout the room “That’s amusing, you would risk the lives of at least two people, over some ridiculous promise. You’re such a hypocrite” Tord shook his head slightly in disbelief.

“I can’t deny that” Timothy sighed “But you can’t deny that you are a hypocrite as well, all you have to do is promise that you will never kill again. For all I know, you could make the promise and then kill me after I tell you, at least I will simply feel like I made some sort of a difference. Even if the promise only makes you hesitate every time you aim your gun.” 

Tord’s gaze narrowed as he stepped closer to the man “I still don't understand. You knew what kind of person I was and what I was willing to do to achieve my goals, so what changed, what made you want to betray me?” there was a genuine curiosity in Tord’s voice as he tilted his head to the side waiting for a reply. 

There was a long pause, the doctor seemed to contemplate on his answer for a moment before looking up at Tord “I think it was when you kidnapped those three men. I realized that you would stop at nothing to get what you want. When you asked me to join you, I thought that your cause was noble, but it is clear now that you are nothing more than a spoiled child, going as far as to kidnap people just so they will remain your ‘friends’. You are in complete denial. Lying to yourself, saying that you did it to keep them safe. It's pathetic really.” 

“Fine.” Tord snapped practically interrupting the man’s speech. “I'm not letting you waste more time. I'll do want you want, I will never kill another person. Now tell me the location of the rebel camp.” 

The doctor blinked in surprise by Tord’s sudden decision, however soon a light smirk graced his face. He had no doubt that Tord would keep his promise. That didn't mean the tyrant wouldn't use others to do his dirty work but Timothy felt like in the end this deal would make some sort of a difference. 

“Well then” the man said, a light chuckle to his tone “that wasn't so hard, now was it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter, I should be able to post regularly again for a little while, college starts soon for me so I can't promise that I will be able to post often, but I will at least try. Oh, and I do plan on doing a short chapter about Tord, the doctor, and Nathaniel, after this story arc, so they will be explained. Of course if you have any questions please feel free to ask. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is a bit more extreme than some of my other chapter, there is torturing, violence, ect.
> 
> If any of these things trigger you I do advise that you skim through or skip this chapter.
> 
> Thank you.

“I don't understand why you two are making this so difficult” Nathaniel’s voice seemed to waver in and out as Tom slowly regained consciousness. 

As he lifted his head, his pixelated eyes glancing wearily around the room. There was a slight interference to his sight caused by a slight static. He vaguely remembered being questioned before one of the rebel soldiers became frustrated with him, to the point in which they struck him across the head, knocking him unconscious, as well as damaging his “eyes”.

Through a hazy blur, Tom spotted Patryk. His arms were bound above his head with a strong rope that was secured to a beam located on the ceiling of the building they were being held in. The rope suspended Patryk’s body to the point in which his boots lightly brushed against the floor but allowed little support unless he stretched his body out, which the man could hardly do now.

In fact, Tom found himself panicking, wondering if Patryk was even still alive. However, a harsh electrical buzzing sound rang through the air, Tom watched as the object creating the noise connected with Patryk’s side, causing the man to cry out as his body contorted in objection to the rush of electricity flowing through his body. Ensuring that the soldier was still alive, but it was clear that if this continued, he would not remain that way for much longer.

A small puddle of blood had collected underneath Patryk’s body, the majority of its contents dripping from the wound on his leg, which only seemed to be getting worst. The man’s eyes were weak, as they focused on Tom, his head shaking lightly, clearly wanting Tom to remain quiet. It was obvious that the soldier still strived to protect Tom, even if it would cost him his own life.

With a frustrated groan, Tom lunged forward slightly in a feeble attempt to aid Patryk in some way. A harsh tug on his arms, reminded him that he was also affixed by rope, although his was bound to a piece of metal piping in the room. In a way, his position was slightly more comfortable than Patryk’s, that is to say that he was secured closer to the ground. 

He had been strung up in a similar position as Patryk’s, but when he lost consciousness the men must have repositioned him. It was highly doubtful that they did this for his comfort. The room they were in was rather small, so they most likely moved him to conserve space.

An all too familiar voice rang out, drawing Tom’s attention as he looked up through the static to see Nathaniel’s eyes on him. “Ah, you’re awake” the man stated, his voice causing immediate frustration to overwhelm Tom, he never thought he would meet someone more annoying than Tord, and he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Tom’s pixelated eyes narrowed watching Nathaniel slowly stepped towards him. “Neither one of you are being too helpful” he stated in a matter of fact sort of way. His eyes glanced back at Patryk, signaling to one his soldiers, which resulted in the electric charge connecting with Patryk once more.

“Stop!” Tom’s spoke in a broken cry, his attempts to sound forceful and defiant crushed. Nathaniel shook his head, waving to the soldier to stop, before walking slowly around both Tom and Patryk.

“Now that our friend has decided to wake up, Let's take a brief time out to review, shall we?” Nathaniel spoke coolly, a light frustrated tone to his voice “You both have confessed to me the location of Tord’s main base, which obviously I already knew. You’ve told me what kind of weapons he has, about his injured arm and eye. You’ve basically given me shit” the man sighed impatiently as he walked over to a table in the room.   
He picked up an object from it, a large dagger, and walked slowly over to Tom. “Now, we have been at this for over forty hours and I bore very easily, so-” he ran a hand through Tom’s hair before roughly gripping at it, yanking his head back and exposing the young man’s neck.

The cool blade of the dagger rested gently against Tom’s skin, it’s sharp edge immediately drawing light beads of blood. “I suppose I will have to kill one of you, to encourage the other to talk” Nathaniel's voice was uncaring, bored even as the blade slowly pressed deeper into Tom’s skin.

With shuddering breaths, Tom knew that all the man had to do was slide the knife across his throat and that would be it. He would be gone, just like that, never really amounting to anything. Another bitter waste of space, which no one would miss. Tears began to swell in his eyes, causing him to feel even more pathetic. He couldn’t even die with pride, a soft sob escaped his quivering lips. 

It couldn’t end like this, he wanted to make a difference, he wanted to do something of importance, he wanted someone to miss him when it was his time. A bitter realization hit him, as he asked himself what use had he ever been for anyone, the only time he had not been a complete nuisance to the people around him, was when Tord had kidnapped him.

He had actually change for the better, he didn’t drink, even Paul thought he was a decent soldier, he was more caring, his thoughts always focused on helping Edd and Matt, getting them out. He didn’t care what happened to him.

At that thought, a sense of acceptance did washed over him, Edd get out. He was able to escape, at least there was that. He did one decent thing, but it just wasn’t enough. It wasn’t his time.

His time was up. The blade began to drag slowly against his skin, it’s harsh edge biting at his throat, soon he would choke on his own blood. His sobs grew louder, he wished he could at least stop crying like a child. Still, he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to die.

“Stop!” Patryk’s voice rang out, a feeble attempt which was ignored. Nathaniel didn’t even flinch his eyes observing hungrily as the beads of blood grew more distinct on Tom’s pale skin.

“He’s important to Tord!” once again Patryk called out, however this did cause the man to pause, the blade remaining on Tom’s neck but no longer moving. 

“Elaborate, and do so quickly, as I said I am quite bored.” He made a point to tug on Tom’s hair roughly, causing the him to cry out slightly, which seemed to be motivation enough for Patryk.

“H-He’s Red Leader’s friend” Patryk spoke quickly, stumbling over his words. “I already know this” Nathaniel didn’t seem convinced and turned his attention back to Tom.

“Look, I was entrusted with one job, no matter what, I was meant to keep that man safe” Patryk spoke in a desperate tone “Think about that, you know Tord. Everyone is replaceable to him… Even me… but he isn’t. The Red Leader is handicapped by whatever emotions tie him to that man and the other two friends he has. You can use that against him, he may not surrender but if you keep Tom and use him as a hostage, that will at least throw off the Red Leader’s guard. You have to see that! Do you really think that you would have been able to attack our base so easily if the Red Leader wasn’t distracted? It’s because of him and his friends!”

The room stood silent for a moment, the only sound being Patryk’s short, pained breaths, combined with Tom’s panicked gasps. Finally, the blade slipped off of Tom’s neck, leaving a small bleeding line.

“His friends?” Nathaniel looked to Patryk as he tilted his head to the side “I assume you are talking about the other two that wear these tacky things over their uniform” he casually dragged the dagger across the hoodie Tom was wearing, the blade causing large tear across the front of the clothing.

Tom shook his head slightly, his expression desperate as he looked over to Patryk. This caused the soldier to bite his tongue, in his attempt to save Tom he didn’t really wish to endanger the lives of his friends.

“Oh? Not talking anymore?” Nathaniel scoffed lightly, his hand finally releasing Tom’s hair as he stood up “That’s fine, you have broaden my curiosity enough not to kill this one, yet… but-” he walked over to Patryk, his lips curved into a cruel smirk “I have no use for you”

As he spoke, the dagger he held slipped into Patryk’s side, causing a shuddered gasp to escape the man’s lips. Tom pleaded for Nathaniel to stop, his cries going completely unacknowledged. 

“You know…” Nathaniel began to speak, his eyes focused on the blade as he slowly pulled back on it, deep crimson liquid soon flowing freely from the open wound “I never understood why Tord enjoyed guns. Knives are just so much more entertaining. Guns are just quick and to the point, bang! You're dead, that's it.” he chuckled lightly, before pressing his hand mercilessly upon the open wound, causing a pitiful whimper to escape Patryk, his body trembling to the man’s violent touch. 

“Tord’s talent with guns may excel all the others who were trained alongside us, but after you three left, I was trained to disassemble your pathetic army. They let me choose any weapon to master, and so I chose blades. Do you know why?” Patryk glared weakly up at Nathaniel, feeling a sudden pressure on the wound as the man pressed his hand onto it more intensely. “I asked you a question”

With a sharp hiss, Patryk finally shook his head back and forth signaling an answer “I chose knives, daggers, swords, etcetera simply because I get to choose how you die. Like I said, it is a hell of a lot more fun this way” he chuckled again his hand gently moving off of the open wound before lightly cupping Patryk’s face, the crimson liquid smeared slightly over his paling skin. 

“For instance, you probably feel awfully horrible right now. I mean, you did just get stabbed, but I have been trained how to avoid all of a person’s vital organs with certain daggers, such as this one. So, that feeling you have right now, that will continue to grow worse and worse for at least a couple of hours before you finally bleed out completely and die” the slim amount of light in Patryk’s eyes had dimmed completely, he stared back at Nathaniel, a hopeless, pained expression painted over his face. 

This had been Nathaniel’s goal, watching all hope fade from a man’s eyes, especially one as stubborn as Patryk, he couldn’t help but laugh cruelly as he left Patryk to bleed, making his way back over to Tom who glared viciously up at him, tears apparent as they streamed from underneath the glasses.

“I had planned on allowing you the opportunity to stay with your friend until he finally bleeds out, however as I’m sure you know, I am awfully selfish. I just want to take those glasses apart, more than anything. They do appear to be attached by wires to your retina, but we can just remove that, can’t we? I’m sure it won’t hurt too terribly” as he said this, Nathaniel signaled for his soldiers to untie the rope before leading the man out of the room, leaving Patryk alone.

Tom’s eyes glanced back desperately at Patryk, a sense of accomplishment lighten the dread that was filling Patryk’s heart. Tom was alive, at least for now, Patryk had no doubt that Tord would eventually come, and he hoped that his words were able to keep Tom alive long enough to be rescued. 

For Patryk, however, it was too late. He knew this as his vision slowly blurred, the dampness of his own blood soaked through his uniform, he had done his best. Now, all he could do was hope that his sacrifice would make a difference.

Time dragged on slowly, Patryk found his thoughts drifting to Paul as his eyes grew heavy. He wished more than anything he could see Paul again, even if it were just to apologize for leaving. Paul was the reckless one, always getting hurt, Patryk would fuss, he knew it annoyed Paul but he just couldn’t stand the idea of losing him. He felt like a hypocrite, leaving first like this, in fact, there was even a sense of guilt as he realized that it was easier for him this way. Dying first, meant that he would never have to lose Paul, he would never have to feel that unbearable loneliness, and with luck, one day he would see Paul again.

As his eyes slowly began to shut, Patyrk could hear his name being called. It started as a soft echo, he recognized the voice and felt joy that in his last few moment he could hear his lover’s voice call to him, even if it happened to be a hallucination. It was a pleasant one, perhaps the blood loss was causing delirium but he felt thankful, if he could spend his last moments hearing Paul’s voice then perhaps it wasn’t all that terrible.

“Patryk!” the voice was louder now, a soft hand touch his shoulder “-wake up, Patryk please...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I am sooooo sorry that this is so late, I started back at school last week and I'm actually coming back after taking two years off so it's a bit of a struggle to get into the hang of things. I do plan on continuing to update, these will just be irregular for a while. I am going to try to update on Sundays still. I feel behind with this one so I wanted to get it out as soon as possible. 
> 
> Anyways, this chapter was pretty intense so I am excited to start on the next one. Thanks as always for reading and feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment below, I love to hear from you guys!


	33. Chapter 33

It was fair to say that time was not on Tord’s side, as his eyes tiredly examined a large map spread across his desk. 

He now knew the location in which Tom and Patryk were being held captive, although doubt remained in his mind. 

This could all be an elaborate trap. 

He believed that Tom and Patryk were in danger, yes. However, there was no certainty that the two were even alive. 

No, he couldn’t think that. They were alive. Tord frowned, his sight blurred, as frustration grew within him. He pressed his hand on his eyes, hoping to relieve the pressure that was slowly building.They had to be alive. 

With a sharp sigh, Tord stepped away from the map. “Paul,” he called out and soon the soldier stepped into the room, giving his leader a quizzical look. 

“Have the troops prepare to move out. It's time we fought back,” Tord spoke softly as he glanced towards the map, purposely avoiding Paul’s worried gaze. “Don't worry. We will rescue Patryk and Tom.”

Paul seemed concerned but nodded all the same, as he set off to complete his task.   
Tord gathered the material he would need, before setting his gun onto its holster strapped to his hip, or at least attempting to do so. The metal object slipped from his hand and landed on the ground with a sharp sound. 

With a frustrated sigh, Tord leaned down to pick up the fallen object. Feeling annoyance with himself for dropping it, he was grateful the gun didn't go off, at least. 

As the gun rested in his hand, the cold metal pressing lightly into his skin, Tord realized why he had dropped the weapon in the first place. 

The gun trembled slightly in his hands, it was difficult to notice at first, but as Tord finally placed the gun into its holster, he paused for a moment, examining his hands. 

Each held a slight uncontrollable quiver to them, noticing that his metal arm even shook ever so slightly. “What's wrong with me?” he mumbled with a sharp laugh escaping his lips. 

Was it lack of sleep? Stress? He felt as if he were going insane, his body had never reacted this way before. Could it be worry?

No. He shook his head in frustration. Patryk was replaceable and Tom. Well, Tom could be replaced as well. Right? 

Of course. He sighed deeply, his trembling hands slowly subsiding. 

He didn't need anyone. Not really. 

With reestablished certainty, Tord stepped towards the door. 

As he pulled the door open, his sight fell upon Edd, who stood anxiously before him. 

“What?” Tord snapped, noticing Edd flinch back. 

“I wanted to come, on the mission. It's partially my fault all of this happened, I want to make it right” Edd spoke in a nervous tone. 

Frustration built within Tord as he glared at Edd “It is your fault,” he repeated back to the man, before sighing, “You are willing, at least, to make sacrifices in order to help your friend. I will allow you on this mission, but you must follow every order I give,” Tord’s eyes narrowed as he held out his metal hand “Do you agree?” 

Edd gave a look of uncertainty before finally grasping Tord’s hand and shaking it slightly “Sure, whatever it takes to get Tom back” 

With a slight smirk, Tord nodded and continued on his way. It was not long before he and Paul had gatherer his troops along with Edd and Matt and were traveling towards where Patryk and Tom were held captive. 

The enemy’s base was not extremely large, in fact, it seemed pathetic in Tord’s opinion. It seemed to have been sheer luck that allowed the enemy to succeed in their attack on the Red Army base. 

Although the base was small, Tord still felt the need to be cautious, they could still be stepping into an elaborate trap and Tord refused to allow himself to be fooled twice. 

He sent soldiers in one by one, to plant bombs throughout the base. He kept the switch with him until all the bombs were placed, at this point, he determined that it would be safe enough to slip into the base covertly. They had acquired uniforms in order to blend in with ease, and as night began to creep over the buildings, Tord, Paul, Edd, and Matt each made their way into enemy territory. 

One of the soldiers, had surveyed the base and gave Tord a decent understanding of where each of the main buildings were, so the group traveled to where this group contained their captives. 

Tord of course, remained in the shadows, ducking into rooms any time another soldier wandered past. He was simply too easy to recognize. The group still moved along with ease. 

As they entered the building, in which Tom and Patryk should have been held, any of the guards standing by were easily subdued and placed in an empty room, by Paul. The group then split up and searched the room for the two missing men. 

Dread sank in as each room was discovered to be empty, hope began to slip away, until a soft cough could be heard from a nearby hallway. 

Paul found a small door, which appeared to lead into a maintenance closet. He forced the door open before making his way into the room. 

At first, he couldn't see much, but he could hear what sounded like weak gasps, coming from the corner of the room. Paul drew his gun, holding it steady as he stepped slowly towards the sound, he could hear footsteps behind him, the others had followed him in.

Paul’s focus returned back to the noise, an unsteady breathing, a soft choke or cough, followed by another broken gasp for air. Chills pulsed through Paul, his hands beginning to shake as he spotted a man towards the back of the room, bound by his hands and suspended by the rope which was secured by a metal pipe, located towards the ceiling. 

A light gasp escaped Paul’s lips, of course, he recognized Patryk immediately, although he dreaded the sight of his found lover. Patryk didn’t deserve this.

Unable to control his trembling, Paul placed his gun back into his holster, words began to escape his lips as his hands moved to retrieve a knife, cutting the rope that held Patryk. “No, no, no. Patryk.” he whimpered, his voice breaking as tears blurred his sight. 

“Patryk, wake up.” Paul placed his hand on the man’s shoulder, wanting to shake him awake, but fearing that would only cause more harm.

“Patryk please...” While sobbing Paul pleaded desperately, clinging to Patryk, completely oblivious to all else around him. As his sobs echoed throughout the room a soft voice spoke, quieting them instantly.

“Paul?” 

Blinking away his tears, Paul glanced down to see Patryk gazing weakly back up at him, a soft smile upon his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooo sorry about the wait everyone, thank you for sticking with me. I did not intend at all to have such a long hiatus. While I am out of school I am going to try to post more chapters. I had hoped to finish this fic before the start of next semester, but that is seeming a little doubtful now. That being said, I am going to try to write as much as possible until that point.
> 
> Thank you for being so patient, and I hope to have a new chapter up soon. I won't be doing any kind of schedule just yet, my goal is simply to write as much as I can until the semester starts, then hopefully I can keep up with it throughout the spring. 
> 
> Thank you as always for reading, and again thank you for waiting patiently. I would have given up on this fic if it were not for my readers, you are all great and you inspire me to keep writing. 
> 
> Again, thank you.


End file.
